


Levax RP (Unfinished)

by SanneARBY



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, First Meetings, First Time, Fluff, Smut, Time Shenanigans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:08:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 76,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28049751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SanneARBY/pseuds/SanneARBY
Summary: The whole RP where Vax meets Levi and the adventures the two go on.
Relationships: Vax / Levi
Collections: All Vax stories





	Levax RP (Unfinished)

**Author's Note:**

> This will forever remain unfinished for I am not friends with the owner of Levi anymore.

In the red and orange growths of Nessus, nestled between two large trees, was a clearing in the forest. A single Radiolarian lake sits in the light reflected from the night sky; meteorites could be seen burning up in the atmosphere, flickering out to nothingness.

One shooting star in particular seemed bigger than the rest- it began to light up the clearing as it neared, appearing brighter and brighter. The projectiles began to seem less like a shooting star and more like what is was- a crashing Guardian ship, bits of hull flying off the burning fuselage. The ship barrels through the trees and comes to a startling halt in the marsh of Vex Milk; the ship, and its inhabitants, sinking into the mud.

The Warlock is seated on Nessus, helmet resting next to her as she sits on a high and white rock overseeing a beautiful red forest shrouded in darkness. In the middle of the forest is a Radiolarian lake, eerily illuminating the trees surrounding it. The Warlock has her eyes closed, breathing in deeply the almost static air. 

And then she hears it. A slow whistling noise coming closer and closer, seeming so distant. 

She opens her glowing white eyes and looks around instinctively, hands already reaching for her hand cannon, when she looks up and can't help but let a gasp escape. Something she thought was a shooting star at first is coming at her, and fast. The ground starts rumbling and the Warlock grabs her helmet and puts it on, jumping up and away from her spot to a bit higher, wanting more sight. She eyes the object bustling closer to her and then frowns when she realises it's a Guardian ship. 

When it crashes in the Radiolarian lake she immediately jumps down and spawns her sparrow, boosting as fast as she can towards the ship, mumbling something to her Ghost accompanying her.

When she arrives she hops off and jumps on the ship without fear, the static electricity of the Vex Milk rustling through her armour. Please let the Guardian be alive. She gathers all the strength she can muster and then rips open the door of the ship, clambering inside as she grunts from the steady shocks she's receiving

"Guardian!" she shouts, as soon as she sees a Guardian sitting in the pilot seat. Unconscious. She grunts and grabs the Guardian, Warlock, from the seat, drags them towards the door as much as possible. "Vax, you're reaching critical health." her Ghost states.

The Warlock, Vax, huffs. "I am well aware, Ghost," she takes a deep breath and then grips the Warlock in her hands tighter, before pulling them up in the air and throwing them outside the ship, on the shore of the lake. She gasps when her shields break and the Milk starts flowing inside the cabin. She clambers out of the ship and with the last strength she has, she jumps towards the shore and falls to the ground, gasping for air as she throws her helmet off. She doesn't hesitate and crawls towards the unconscious body a bit away from her, her health slowly regenerating. 

She summons Ghost to examine the Guardian, as it does she unlocks the mechanisms of the helmet and pulls it off gently, setting it aside. "Warlock, can you hear me?" she asks, eyeing the Exo lying in front of her.

Nothing happens for what feels like an eternity (probably only a minute in reality), and finally Levi shakes off his stupor, coughing up Milk and some sort of Exo fluid from his mouth. Rolling to his belly, he tries to stand, the mix of electricity and fatigue making it difficult. The Warlock huffs, instead resigning to simply kneeling on the beach, blinking his eyes and wiping more moisture out of his face.

A black-and-gold Ghost spawns out of Light, scanning her Guardian as he looks towards his timely savior with what seems to be a cross between contempt and disbelief, eyes finally focusing on the woman. He finally settles on a simple sentence:

"Thank you for the assistance, but we had the situation under control-" A voice with a semblance of Old Earth Irish in its tones. 

As he finishes his sentence, the ship in the lake submerges, and then explodes, smoke billowing out from the white liquid.

"....mostly." Levi admits, finally stumbling to his feet.

Vax blinks as she eyes the Exo, then glances at Ghost, sharing a look as the Exo coughs something up. "Don't pressure yourself," Ghost tells the fellow Warlock, worry in its voice. "It may harm your machinery."

Vax gently moves Ghost closer to her, silently letting it know it was fine and it didn't need to talk. She can't help but feel a slight laugh bubble up at the comment the Exo makes, mostly relieved the Exo was fine.

Ghost eyes Vax and then hovers towards the Exo. "Crashing your ship and losing it into Radiolarian fluid hardly sounds like having the situation under control," it scrutinizes, then both it and its Guardian turn to look at the ship as it explodes and finally gets drowned out fully, leaving only bubbles in its path. "... Point in case."

"Well, princess, that's what I get for trying to take a Red Legion cruiser out by myself before it leaves the system." he scoffs, checking the rounds in the magazine of his Scout Rifle, an old Vision of Confluence, or at least a good replica. "And I know, quite well, the restraints this damn body has."

As he says this, a plate falls off his hand, into the rocks of the shoreline.

"Trust me, I'm fine. Thank you for pulling me out of that. Why are you here on Nessus anyways?"

Vax cocks her head at the name the Exo gave her, but makes no comment as she reaches for her helmet and gun, letting Ghost handle this. She crosses her legs and starts taking care of her gun, making sure it's in perfect condition as she listens to the Exo and her Ghost bicker.

"We were just cooling down from all the work we've done," Ghost explains, looking the Exo over and then hovering back towards Vax. "Why... would you go for a ship like that on your own? A Guardian ship is not well-suited for combat," if it could frown it would. "Also we have newer guns, why would you still use Vision of-"

"Ghost." Vax murmurs simply, not looking at either beings as she cleans off her helmet's visor. 

Ghost looks back at Vax and then nods, looking down. "I apologise."

"It's alright, teacup. I have a bad habit of sticking to old ways. It makes me feel...relevant still, I suppose. The new line of guns are too minimalistic. I like being flashy. Reminds me of days of old when the Guardians were more than just a group of rebels on the run from space turtles. " Levi looks up, in the general direction of Earth. "Not that I fit in, anyways."

His Ghost pipes up, a high female voice filling the air. "We were on our way back from a recon flight in the Kuiper Belt when we saw that ship leaving the system. We thought we might try our luck and help out in a better way than taking pictures."

Lev slides his helmet back on, shouldering the rifle, and offers a hand to Vax. "Sorry for any pain I caused you two. You're welcome to tag along to listen to the Vanguard bitch us oot, but we have to find a ship before we can do anything. I heard there's a downed Golden Age cruiser not far from where we are now."(edited)

"There's gotta be something I can fly in that hangar."

"He means we", Shelley adds.

Vax can't help but be fascinated by the Exo, a small and intrigued sparkle in her eyes as she listens to him speak, the way of speaking is not something she has encountered before, it feels... old, almost ancient. Almost all Guardians are mostly uncaring and talk in a casual way about life, but this Guardian.. this Warlock, talks as if he'd seen the world itself end and be reborn. It fascinated her infinitely. 

Ghost seems to sense Vax' fascination, eyeing its Guardian and then back at the Exo as it senses Vax' thoughts. "We can help," it offers, nodding its shell. "You can probably use the extra firepower, after all. We can lend you our ship so we can fly to the cruiser."

Vax gladly takes the Exo's hand and gets up, holstering her hand cannon and putting her helmet on, feeling safer now that her face isn't exposed anymore. She pats her robes off and then smiles, suddenly realising they were both donning something of the Vault of Glass.

"I'll take you up on that offer, if it's not too much trouble."

Lev mentally kicked himself. Why should they take help from this stranger? I don't need help, I've faced the Vex time and time again and they never learn, especially with me.Calculations flashed through his mind, a couple thousand scenarios flashing to him; and it seems as though chances of survival are much higher sticking with this girl. Plus, you owe her one. She looks lonely, tag along. Shelley rang in his head, ever his conscience. Alright, but I don't like this "make Levi be social" attitude you've got going.

"I'm Levithan-13. This is Shelley, the only Ghost to keep a Frankenstein's monster like me together." The Warlock raises his hand in greeting, begrudgingly saying "I owe you two favors with the ride, I guess."

Vax simply nods, somehow finding the Exo enjoyable to be around. They were airy, themselves. They weren't constantly pretending as if their situation wasn't weird, and... they were honest. It was such a nice breath of fresh air that Vax found herself smiling, maybe the happiest smile she's had in a while.

Ghost dematerialises and opens the comms between the two Guardians and their companions. "You don't owe us anything, really. Just Guardians looking out for each other," it explains, calling in for their ship. While waiting, it speaks again. "How many times have you patched up that Vision now?" it wonders.

Vax rolls her eyes, almost fondly, and turns as she grabs her equipped scout rifle to quickly look it over, making sure it wasn't damaged in the Radiolarian fluid. She's a bit confused on why the Exo hadn't mentioned her silence yet, usually Guardians make it one of the first things to ask her. But she supposes this Guardian isn't an usual one.

"24. 24 times. And she recoils to the left, and half the time I have to wrap gauze around the scope to hold it on. But I guarantee that she's more useful than a damn Nameless Midnight." Lev flashes a peace sign and chuckles "And believe me, little light, it's not the only old thing I still use. I had an old No Land Beyond that I used for a while. I don't like giving up old things. It reminds me of what I used to have."

Levi looked the two up and down, before nodding. "Although you don't look nearly as incompetent as most Guardians I meet..." He unholsters a Dire Promise, checking the rounds in the chambers. 

"May I ask why you're a little...quiet? I'm not complaining, but normally anyone else would be scolding my arse if they saw I crashed a ship from what equates to egging Calus' palace."

He spins the revolver absent-mindedly.

Vax closes her eyes and listens to the Exo, his voice almost pleasant after the solitude she made herself after everything. She turns back around, showing the Nameless Midnight in her hands before she puts it back on her back, daring the Exo to say something about her choice of weapons. 

Ghost lets out a huffing noise at that darned nickname, but it doesn't make a comment on it. "I suppose we've had a bit more battle up our sleeves than most Guardians," it says humbly, staying silent for a moment. "Vax is, she has this thing where she doesn't really talk to new people. She's been through some stuff."

Vax considers it, eyes the Exo up and down once more, and considers the situation. Then she opens her mouth and speaks, "It's a selective thing I've grown out of habit after everything I've been through," she explains, her voice soft and a bit rough from being barely used. She clears her throat. "I have no reason to scold you for a suicide mission, you made that decision and I hold no power over you." she looks up to the sky as her ship flies overhead, then stays hovering in mid-air waiting for the Guardians to transmat onto it.

Lev stopped, completely, for only a moment. A rare pang of guilt sprang up inside him as he looked away from his fellow Warlock, amazed that one small sentence was able to make him regret more than anything Ikora Rey could throw at him. That's not fair, he thought, she has more power than she thinks.

"I can respect that. What you say matters leagues more than how much you say it... I shouldn't be wasting ships and resources at the drop of a hat anymore. It's just too easy to try reckless ideas when you don't have a lot to fight for."

With a burst of Light, he transmats on the ship. Shelley lingered for a moment, with what equates to a shrug on her shell, and then followed.

Vax watches the Exo turn away, body language betraying what he was thinking. Sudden guilt. She absentmindedly fidgets with her fingers, simply watching the Exo for a moment. At his comment she opens her mouth and shuts it again, somehow feeling like she just witnessed something special. 

When he transmats onto her ship, she stays standing a moment longer, lips puckered in thought ever so slightly. “Ghost,” she murmurs then, her companion appearing. “Do we know anything about him?” 

Ghost is quiet for a moment and then shakes its shell. “Nothing, he’s a ghost.” 

Vax grins at the comment and nods. ”Right. We’ll learn more along the way, then.” she hums and then transmats onto the ship, getting in the seat and starting to fly away. 

Ghost appears inside the ship and looks at the Exo. “I’m Ghost, by the way. That’s Vax.”

"A Ghost named Ghost? Did you give yourself that name or is it one of those "I'm having a hard time picking a name" situations?" Shelley piped in a joking tone. "I mean, it's apt, to the point and all, but it's a little, erm, plain"

Be nice, Shelley, Levi thought, They're giving us a ride, you can tease them after.

Lev spoke up, breaking what was probably an uncomfortable silence. "Do you know anything of Nessus? Or the ship? Most I heard of, some hot-shot Guardian woke up the ship-board AI before they left for Io. And now the Fallen are taking whatever they can get their claws on. I don't like clean-up duty." The Warlock put his feet up in the space available in the ship, absentmindedly playing with a bit of Void Light in his fingers, constructing shapes. A ship. A Vex Minotaur. Finally, a Cosmodrome logo from Earth before he clenches his fingers, smothering the purple and black lines. 

"So tell me, fellow Warlock o mine, what fuels your Light?"

Vax lets out a huff as she slides her helmet off, setting it aside next to her and putting the ship on autopilot before sitting back. She doesn’t move to face the Exo, opening her palm to crackling lightning. “I thought I was going to die,” she says simply. “Figured I’d name my Ghost before I did.” she closes her hand into a fist, the blue lightning disappearing into smoke. 

Ghost looks at its Guardian and then back at the Exo, watching the different shapes take form. “We know nothing of the ship. We aren’t usually on Nessus since our primary research is currently about the Hive,” it explains, voice wondrous. “Any data you can give us will be welcome, however.”

Vax turns her head slightly to glance at Ghost before looking back outside at the passing sky. She hums at the question, thinking for a moment. “Various places. Depends on what I’m wielding. But usually it’s a matter of wanting control,” she explains softly, eyes glossing over almost absentmindedly. “Sometimes it’s love, wanting to protect the ones I love,” she opens her palms again and a flame emerges from it, lighting Vax’ face eerily as she stares into it. “Sometimes it’s anger.”

"I can respect that. Light is most often fueled by emotion for us."

He took his helmet off as well, stowing it in his lap for now. Shelley floats over to the ship's console, interacting with it, beams of Light and data flowing between her shell and the screen. "For me, it's always anger." Levi interjected, "I don't know why, but I'm angry more often than most and I don't know why. It's been pervasive in my thoughts and fights, since my last reboot. I guess 13 really is an unlucky number." Before going to deep into it, the Exo sits back again, going back to playing with his Light, staring into the folds of space. "I probably sound crazy, but that's why I don't have a fireteam, I guess."

He cracks his neck while Shelley uploads the data to the ship's log, multiple metallic creaks ringing out.

"We've done some scouting missions around the wreckage. Nothing big, but there's a large space underground that might be a ship hangar. The Fallen have tried to blast their way through it, but the doors are sealed pretty tight."

Vax looks up when the Exo starts talking, closing her hands into a fist again to extinguish the flames. She listens to his story intently, then turns her seat around to face him. “It’s a bit superstitious to believe a number can cause bad luck, don’t you think?” she counters, leaning back in the seat. 

Ghost hovers over to Shelley, watching what she was doing. “And you think we can open those doors instead? I assume we have some codes?”

Vax is silent for a moment, weighs her words. “Warlock, I... if I were you I’d research where I’m from,” she then says, turning back to her console when something started beeping. “I don’t mean to intrude of course but-“ she halts her sentence and then stands up. “Shit...!” she starts typing furiously and then presses on a button, before grabbing her helmet. “Transmat away right now, we’re being followed by some Fallen Ketches. Move!”

Levi put his helmet on, taking his revolver out of its holster, spinning the chambers to check if they were full. 

Calculations flashed through his head, is it impossible? It's definitely dangerous but maybe with another Guardian by my side-Oh come on, she's not going to want to!Shelley butted in, but her Warlock was already to absorbed in thought, and in the moment from when Vax put her helmet on from when their Ghosts rejoined their sides, he had his plan formulated.

"Wait! I have an idea, and you're probably not going to like it!"

Under his helmet, there could have been a smile. "Do you like flying?"

In an instant, Levithan-13 grabbed Vax's hand, pulling her into a transmat in progress.

This transmat wasn't on the ground, or into a hangar.

This transmat propelled them 50 feet into the air, above where one of the Ketches would be in seconds. In freefall.

Vax was about to tell Ghost to transmat her, when the Exo grips her hand and pulls her into a transmat before she could react 

The world twists and warps around them as their molecules fall apart, traveling through space and time before they reassemble in their trusted world safely. 

Her heart fucking stops.

The air is whistling around her, her breath caught in her throat as she gasps and starts the freefall, heart caught in her throat. She presses her eyes closed as much as she can, thinks, feels, so many things. She breathes heavier and heavier, jaw clenched, until suddenly she opens her eyes and reveals the Void. 

Space Light crackles in her balled fists, start forming a crackling ball of Void in her hands coming together, growing and growing by the minute. Right before they slam against the hull of the ship, Vax unleashes her Nova Bomb in a rage of energy, throwing it down onto the ship. 

The ship’s hull explodes open in a dazzling lightshow of Void Light and electricity failing and catching on fire, and then she lands in the corridor of the Ketch, panting, but alive. 

She whips her head around to the Exo. “Don’t you ever fucking do that again!” she yells, purple Void still crackling around her, her fists once again forming the pure nothingness out of the sheer anger.

"Oh man, you're definitely more capable than most Guardians I meet." Clap. Clap. Clap.A half-genuine applause emanates through the corridor, as Levi stands and claps his hands together, the material of his gauntlets making a soft thudwith each completion. "Well, I was planning on making a stealthy entrance for once, but great minds do think alike, I suppose. Wonderful Bomb there, I couldn't have done it better myself." The Exo walks to a door, fiddling with the panel beside it, as if nothing had happened, and he does this every day. 

"Why bother with a tiny, old ship when we can steal a fully-functioning Ketch, and bring it back to the Vanguard as bounty? Your ship was getting cramped anyways." The wires he keeps pulling out of the door panel spark and jolt with electricity, and the door opens, leading deeper into the ship.

Levi bows deeply, motioning to the door with arms wide. "I promise I won't transmat you into mid-air, thousands of feet from the ground, ever again. At least for the next 24 hours. Pinky swear, love."

Vax stares at the Exo, still panting as she grips the Void in her hands, tries to contain it once more. "What the fuck," she then growls, breath heavy. Her hands are trembling, the Void requiring a lot of her energy. "You could've gotten us killed," she steps forwards towards the Exo and grabs him by his collar, the gloves sizzling at the touch of the cool fabric. She slams him against the wall and inches close to his face, heaving in deep breaths as she tries so desperately to see beyond his visor and see the look in his optics. She lets out a growl after a moment and lets him go, shaking her hands once as if to shake off the Void. 

She turns around and hunches over a bit, eyes pressed close, creating her own space. "I'm stronger than this," she murmurs, voice quiet once more as the Void around her finally dissipates and slowly vanishes from the electric air. She opens her eyes and watches her trembling hands calm down slowly, flexing them a few times before grabbing her hand cannon. She doesn't turn when she speaks, "Don't ever do that again. It's... just like the day the-" her breath hitches at the memory, when she lost everybody, but she presses on, voice sounding raw. "The day the Last City fell, Ghaul kicked me off his ship and left me to die in a freefall of minutes," she explains simply. "Don't do it again, or I will not hesitate to kill you." she opens her fists and watches the lightning for a moment before closing it once more and nodding.

Levi stood up straight, touching the burnt collar of his robes. A passerby wouldn't be sure, but a slight chuckle could've been stifled behind his helmet. The "holy fuck, this girl is going to kill me over and over for eternity" chuckle, not the "smug and smarmy" kind. "I apologize for the startle, but this kind of plan isn't exactly a well thought-out one, innit? Flying by the seat of our pants here. I promise it'll work out. 67% chance we back to Earth alive. Okay, I lied. 57%."

There was a slight spark as his Light shield returned to full strength. "Listen, you're the most competent Guardian I've met for a while. Before the Traveler came back, I thought I was going to be stranded on Io. Once we get off-planet, if you never want to talk to me again, that's fine, no one really does. But just indulge me for a while, so let's fucking murder our way through a hundred or so Fallen. " Shelley floated around Lev's shoulder, a slightly concerned look on her shell, as if to project a sorry, Vaxto the other Warlock.

"If you don't act on instinct, nothing gets done sometimes. That's what some Warlocks forget. The Light isn't a force to be studied, it's a force to be afraid of. It's a river that will sweep you away unless you push against it, any way you can. I like to keep the Traveler on her toes."

Vax opened her mouth, wanted to say sorry for the collar, but something about the way the Exo checked said sizzled collar and then chuckled made her stop. She felt something run up her spine at the low chuckle, but she ignored it as best as she could, refusing to focus on any of that right now. "Not a lot of Warlocks have that casual demeanour of a Hunter over them," she then said softly, tone of voice with an edge of wonder and curiosity.

She glanced at the open door, kept an eye on any enemies possibly intruding on their area, before rolling her eyes and huffing. "Me, competent?" she let out something resembling a snort. "I suppose I simply learned the techniques and let it go from there, let the emotions fuel the Light to bring out my full potential," she once again opened her palms to look at the lightning, something about it fascinating her endlessly. She closed her palm quickly and firmly a second later. "You want to see my full potential, though?" she inched closer to the Exo, an unseen smirk on her usual stoic face. Something about the Exo infinitely fascinated her, even if he seemed to have a few screws loose.

She took a step back and flexed her hands a few times, channeling the Void Light she could barely contain. "I have never been one to study, I never saw myself a Warlock since I was never like the usual ones. I've learned to realise that being a Warlock isn't just studying, it's learning from mistakes and using clever tactics and strategy, to come up with a plan on a hunch. To really use those brains of ours," she let out an airy laugh, as if delirious from the pure power of the Void she possessed. She took a deep breath and grinned. "But nevertheless, we have a Ketch to steal."

Lev spun his revolver. "Indeed, we have a Ketch to steal, princess." A slight jerk of the helmet, and he aimed the hand cannon right behind Vax, two shots ringing out, and two Dreg falling flat on the deck. "We should go soon, those two were probably sent to see what punctured the hull." Well duh, she's not an idiot. he thought, I don't need to treat her like a child. But why shouldn't he? A curious feeling spread up his spine, the only faint electrical signals that he could define as feelingsanymore. She is a child compared to him. He shouldn't have put her into this danger. He's more than 400 years old. Rebooted countless times. He can't even remember his real name, and yet he's going to rely on this emotional girl to help him escape a situation he put himself into.

He turned to the open door, hesitating to step through for only a moment.

"You're smart. And intriguing. Don't lose yourself to the Void. I already have. Follow me closely. Just give me supporting fire. The Bridge is two decks down, and we can decompress the rest of the ship from there. Odds are there's a Kell or an Archon waiting for us; let me take them, and transmat back to your ship if we get in too deep."

With a swoosh, he walks into the hallway. "Stay close."

Vax looked back at the Exo, the purple Void crackling in her balled fist. "You think I do not control it?" she let him walk past her and then followed him. "I do control it, but sometimes I let it lick at my heels, you know? Let it think it controls me so it'll allow me to use more of its power. Don't see me as a new Guardian, I have been here a while," she jumps over him, switches to a shotgun, and then takes down two Vandals that came running at them. "The Dregs have alerted the Ketch, any moment now they-" she got interrupted by an alarm and the lights started flashing red while Eliksni language over the comms alerted the ship of the presence of the two Guardians.

Vax huffed and switched back to her hand cannon, looked around for a brief moment. "I know a shortcut through the vents, will allow us to get to the Bridge faster and take down the Kell or Archon. Do you want to split up and get the element of surprise or go trough this guns blazing?" she looked back at the Exo, had she not worn a helmet he could see the fierceness in her eyes, the refusal to go and flee the fight they both started. But she did wear a helmet, and all she could do is make her voice heard, make her tone heard, so he understood that she wasn't afraid to bring it up close and personal.

Levithan hesitated for a moment, and then answered. "Take the vents and I'll give you the signal to decompress the ship. I'm going to the engine room to cause as big of a commotion as I can. I can't guarantee that I'll buy you much time, but if we time this right we can get off-planet easily. Trust me."

Calculations flashed through his mind again. Yes, this was the best way. He knows the risks. As he walked away, he took his helmet off for a moment and smiled at her, a genuine smile, and a small mock salute. "Hey, if we get out of this alive, I'm going to put a good word in with Ikora Rey for you. My word doesn't mean much, but I figure I owe you one. Whatever mission you want, you'll probably get. Hell, I might try to tag along, prince-... Vax. I'm glad we met."

Traveler, that was stupid. Next time, I'll be sure to crash land on a Minotaur or something.

He put his helmet back on and began to fire randomly into the air, running down the hallway, yelling for any Vandal or Marauder to hear him.

Shelley lagged behind for a moment, looking at Vax. "Wow, that's about the highest praise he's ever given. Good luck!" The ghost dissolved into Light, and the shots faded away, commotion beginning to arise deeper in the ship. 

Vax nodded firmly and was about to climb in the vents when she halted, the extra and familiar movement of undoing a helmet making her stop. Never take your helmet off in combat, is the first thing that popped in her mind, but suddenly all thoughts went quiet for a moment when the Exo just smiled and saluted at her, the Warlock suddenly glad her helmet was still on. She quickly composed herself, "There is no need-" she started, interrupting him, but then quieting down again as he continued. She was at loss of words for a moment, simply watching him put his helmet back on and start walking away. "T-thank you?" she then stammered over the comms, before shaking her head out of frustration and crouching down to enter the vents. 

Ghost appeared over the comms, muted themselves for the Exo and his Ghost. "Vax, I'm recognising that behaviour." it said simply.

Vax grumbled, "You're a horror machine sometimes. Don't worry about it," she murmured, trying to stay quiet as she slowly crawled through the vents. She opened the comms to the Exo again. "How you holding up? I'm almost at the Bridge, it's not sounding good outside, but I'll be waiting," she halted over an opening, peeking inside. "There is an Archon here, but I should be able to sneak past him to decompress the ship, he may even go outside to take a look at the commotion so be careful."

A couple of long, silent moments followed; the only noise that could be heard were the occasional alarm ring and the Archon yelling orders in its native language. But then, not even through the radio, a loud explosion rocks the ship, the vibration being felt throughout the deck plates. No major changes could be felt, so the ship was still in the air, but something big just occurred on the opposite end of the ship. A whiff of smoke filled the air vents, and Lev's voice could be heard on the radio:

"-a little trouble holdi- static-em off, get in the bridg- a small bangahh! blast it, I'm giving them all I've g- more static-ecompress immediately! Holding on to a-"

A large bangwas transmitted across the radio, and silence followed, as more Fallen urgently left the inner holds to run to the engine room. The only being left in the Bridge was the Archon.

Vax bit her lips, waited for his signal, and then perked up when his voice was finally heard over the radio. She immediately felt a sense of dread, however. She doubted she could revive him if he'd die at this moment, and those blasts weren't sounding well. "Hang in there, Warlock, I'm going in now and I'll be as fast as I can," she peeked out once more and then silently opened the vents, dropping down with a small thud and snapping the necks of the two Dregs who hung around to take care of the Ketch. She kicked their bodies aside and summoned Ghost, the both of them immediately starting work on the console. "Shit, I don't know their language," she grumbled, tapping on the screen and sliding some screens aside as Ghost helped her translate. 

She confidently tapped on a button, and then she braced herself on the console as all of the air got sucked out of the Ketch in an instant, any noise drowning out as the vacuum of space took over. She opened her comms. "Warlock, are you still alive? I'm going to make my way over to you and help, we're getting out of here together." she grabbed her hand cannon from the console as Ghost dematerialised and opened the door to the corridor, looking both sides before starting to run towards the engine room.

There was no reply on the radio. Not even from Shelley. Only static. 

The engine room door opens, and the only being was holding on to a pole in the corner in the room, sparks flying from his body. A battered and nearly destroyed Ghost shell lay at his feet, no life showing in its eye.

Levi's left eye, arm, and left leg were all gone, the entire side of his body burnt and damaged beyond recognition. His helmet and armor were in pieces, and occasional sparks of electricity jumped from his chest. 

The marred figure looked up, letting go of the pole and flashing a weak salute. "H-hey, priiiiincess." He said, voice modulated and broken up. "I told you I could get you out of here iiiiiiiin one piece."

Vax cursed and hurried up, when she arrived at the engine room she was about to open the door when the Exo walked out, and she audibly gasped. "Oh..!" she stared at the Exo for a moment, completely shocked at the sight. She then shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and rushed over to the Ghost shell, picking it up. "Ghost, keep this for now," she ordered, the shell dematerialising as Vax ran over to the Exo. "You fucking idiot, what did you do!?" she fussed, grumbling as she moved to support the Exo.

Just as she was about to properly grab the Warlock and start moving him away, the ground shook as a heavy figure approached behind her, and she cursed as she turned. The Archon was standing in the corridor, its massive body blocking their way out. "Shit, shit, shit," Vax gasped, gently putting the Exo back. "Ghost, keep an eye on his signals, tell me as soon as it gets bad," she ordered, her companion appearing and hovering near the Exo, scanning him.

Vax grumbled as she cracked her knuckles. "Fine, you big bully," she murmured, walking over to the Archon as she charged up two balls of pure Void in her hands, her hands trembling as the pure energy crackled around her, her robes starting to sway ever so lightly at the energy. She then rushed at the Archon and jumped up to him, throwing the Void balls into his chest and clinging onto his chest to try and punch a grenade into him. The Archon screamed something in Eliksni, perhaps something close to a curse, as the Void ate away at his skin, and then he grabbed Vax by her head and threw her away from him. Vax let out a scream as she tried to free herself from his grip, then she flew through the corridor and smacked against the wall, gasping and falling to the ground with a heavy smack. 

She was wheezing, coughing up some blood as she crawled back up, and whipped out her shotgun as the Archon charged at her. She shot at him a few times and then slid between his legs to end up behind him, shot at his back a few times. The Archon let out a furious roar, wanted to turn around to face Vax again, but before he could she threw away her shotgun and clambered onto his back, straddled his neck and started squeezing as she charged up another Nova Bomb, the Void Energy twisting the space around her as she gathered it, charged it. And then she smacked it against the Archon's head, cracked open his skull and buried the Bomb inside his head. 

She jumped off the Archon and rushed over to the Exo, panting, and then threw herself over him as the Bomb exploded, the Archon exploding into a million pieces as the Void completely consumed him.

"H-hey, hey, I-I'm'm'm'm'm the one who's doing the suuuuuicide missions. That was a good bomb, though. You're making me look bad, here." Levi tries to smile, but due to the fact half his face is burnt, it comes off as a sad smirk. "Are you okay? Let me at 'em, come on." Parts kept falling off, halfway comically, from the damage. 

They always said not every Exo can feel sensation, and only new models can really feel more than a slight tingling. Lev could attest that the rumors were false. Pain was a friend at this point. Pain had always been a friend. Pain had been.....

Levithan-13 stood on a white field, in a white void. There was no discernible horizon; instead, a planet was visible in the sky, right above the scene. The ground was completely flat, with a carpet of white grass beneath his feet. He was repaired, dressed in a simple white robe. In front of him sat a hill; a figure reclined at the crest. As the Exo walked up the hill, the features of the man became more pronounced: a scar on his right ear. Blonde, messy hair on his head. The sky turned dark. The figure turns and-

The vision ended. As the last wisps of Void dissipated, Lev looked around, attempting to clamber (unsuccessfully) to his knees. "I-I didn't Blink away from a grenade in time... and a marauder got behind me, got me right in the face... a captain managed to get a shot on Shelley, she always comes out at the worst times... but, heey, wewewewe won, right? We captured a Ketch... Am I babbling? I'm babbling. If I could clap I would. I feel like this shite is a coooping mech-mech-mechanism..." Nessus' upper atmosphere flew by, as the Ketch's auto pilot took it on a course back to Earth.

"I'm sorry." Levi closed his eye. "I really hope we can save Shelley. I think it's just her shell that's damaged..."

Vax panted as she sat back up, looking back at where the Archon had been and nodding once to see only parts left behind. She crawled back up to a stand. “I’m fine,” she replied simply to Levi, grabbing her shotgun from the ground and attaching it to her back again. 

She kneeled over at Levi and gently sat him up as best as she could. “I don’t have the parts to fix you here,” she mumbled, assessing the damage. “And Ghost can’t do anything either, we have to wait,” she dropped her hands at her side, sighing, as she just sat there for a moment, calming down. 

She pulled out the shell of Shelley, gently putting it in Levi’s hand. “Hold her, hm? I’ll get us to the bridge so we can actually keep an eye on things,” she stood back up and then picked up Levi carefully, starting to walk towards the bridge, humming almost silently. “Second time I’m holding you today, is this going to be the default now?” she filled the silence, ignoring Levi’s rambling. She looked down at him though, when he apologised, opening her mouth and closing it again as she frowned. “I’m sure Shelley is fine,” she then assured the Warlock in her arms, nodding firmly. “They’ll be able to fix her at the Tower.”

"I mean, at this point you're the most qualified person to hold me, princess." The rambling stopped, as if that single line from his saviour made his faculties calm down a small amount. He gazed down at Shelley's shell, limping along with the help given. I can't keep doing this. I need to calm down.A small pang of emotion filled him in the silence, a small twinge that made his artificial heartbeat pick up a fraction of a percent- guilt. Normally I can work on my own, why, all of a sudden, do I need to rely on someone's help?

Levi stood up, leaning on his companion, shakily standing on one leg. He tried to stumble along, using his remaining leg as well as he could to hobble up to the Bridge, leaning on the railings on the side of the hallway as little as he could. "We've been through worse, this is cakewalk... I'd like to see two Hunters capture a Ketch for the Vanguard. With our luck, however, Shaxx might use it as a damn Crucible arena." The door to the engine room opened, with the sound of hop hop hopof the Exo filling the room. "You coming? We're not out of the fire yet"

Vax snorted at that comment, continuing to go towards the bridge, stepping over the dead Fallen lying around here and there. “I’m also the only one here,” she quipped back, a small grin on her face. 

When Levi went to stand up she put him down carefully, making sure he was able to stay standing and walking by holding an arm out. “Hunters would probably manage to do the same as us, except less... careful,” she looked back towards where the engine room was. “I may retract that statement though,” she then joked a bit, walking into the bridge. 

She made sure Levi was okay and then walked towards the console, summoning Ghost to help her translate once again. She swiped over the screens, tapped some random buttons, and then finally their trajectory showed up on the screen. “Here,” she said. “We’re now past Uranus and will be closing in on Saturn. If I could find the warp drive setting we could be there in an instant.” she grumbled, swiping around on the screens.

"Here, blue triangle at your 2 o'clock" Levi points, while gently setting himself down on a crate. "NLS jump drive. It's useful to learn Eliksni, basically anything that isn't a circle or sphere means something technical. Their main language has many pictographs with circles dignifying identity or belief."

"...and while you may be the only one here, you're probably just as likely to throw me out of an airlock to float in space for eternity." The Exo smirks, holding his arm over his chest, like he was trying to fold his arms if it was not for the fact he was missing one of them. He seemed weirdly calm for a two thirds of a person, as if he had become used to damage like this on a regular basis. Levi still clutched Shelley in his hand, running his thumb in a small circle around her eye, as though he was attempting to wake her, absentmindedly fidgeting with the fingers he had left. "You might want to alert the Tower we're on the way."

Vax looked at Levi for a moment and then pressed the triangle. The ship creaked a bit when the jump drive was initiated, and then the ship entered the void. “Ghost, open comms to the Tower, let them know we’re incoming,” she said, tapping away on the screen for another moment before sitting down. “I’ve been slowly learning Eliksni. Ghost helps me with stuff like this,” she explained to Levi, sighing. 

She watched Levi fiddle with Shelley’s shell, a frown on her covered face. “... how long have you been alone?” she then whispered, suddenly realising how lost Levi looked without her. She hated acknowledging it, but she saw a piece of herself in him. Before Saladin had found her and took her under his wing, saved her without even realising it. 

She bit her lips and looked away, out into the open space of the void they were travelling to to get back home.

"Longer than I'd like to admit. I usually get solo missions. Scouting. Finding Vex Confluxes and Fallen ammo stores." Lev closes his eye, leaning back against the wall. "It's fine. I don't really need anyone else. Only when I crash ships and capture Ketches, I guess." 

Anyone in the room could probably gather that it wasn't fine. Suicidal tendencies and rash decisions were common among the Guardian corps; in fact, most Fireteams deployed some sort of strategy with a hard-hitter or a glass cannon like that. But solo, it was important to be careful, with so many hostile races in the immediate Solar System. This amount of recklessness was unnatural at best.

"Besides, no one wants to be friends, or even team up with a guy like me. I don't even stay in the Tower, heh, I have a nice little penthouse in the City. I go where they need me, and they rarely need me."

Vax looked back at the, quite literally, broken Warlock, her sympathetic frown hidden by her helmet. She was unsure how to proceed, usually not one to really try and console Guardians. But this one, this one,fascinated her still. Perhaps she finally figured out why, he was a lot like she was before she had anybody, before she had Eris and Saladin, Blue, Noah, Ariya, Leo... 

Vax shook her head almost unnoticeably, not wanting to think about them, those she had lost. She focused back on the present, on the fallen to pieces Exo in front of her. “I’ll tell you what,” she started softly, almost vulnerable, as if exposing herself. “I’m not usually a team player, but something tells me you could use one,” she smiled gently, hoping he could hear by her tone of voice how serious she was. 

“I’ll show you the most beautiful spots on all the planets, the ones worth living for,” she hoped he understood that she knew it wasn’t fine, that she’d make sure he’d be okay and find back his path. “I’ll show you my room in the Tower, it’s actually surprisingly pleasant to stay there. You can really make it your own after a while,” she bit her lips, fiddled a bit with her gun as if for comfort herself. “There is more to this life of war than all those battles.”

"I...." A couple centuries of solitude made Lev hesitate. Was it time to end it? Was it time to open up a little? 

The console beeped quietly, as light speed space whizzed by. More than a few silent moments passed before he croaked a quiet response, breaking the wordlessness. "I'd love that, actually." He looked to the side, a little embarrassed. "I think this is evidence enough that I need to change my mindset... I'm not about to give up on myself." The Exo points to Vax, a semi-stern look on his face "You have to promise me you're not going to force me to formal gatherings. Or Vanguard meetings. or Crucible matches. Nothing with loud Titans." He smiles. "And I hope the rooms on the Tower are quads or something. Like dorms. I can't imagine living with an Exo banging around is exactly... peaceful."

The conversation seemed to be taking his mind off what happened in the engine room. The two-thirds of his body language seemed a little better; his shoulder relaxed, and pieces stopped falling off as much as they had been.

Vax barely moved in the silence, afraid she’d startle the Exo away from a moment that seemed unfamiliar to him, to the both of them, afraid to break the heavy moment between the two. She simply listened to what he had to say, something in her chest aching at how desperate he probably didn’t realise he sounded, so much at a loss of companionship. 

She reached over and tapped on a button, allowing the air to come back to the ship. She unlocked her helmet and pulled it off, breathing in the fresh air before smiling gently, setting her helmet aside. “Way better, this,” she hummed. “I’m not one to enjoy the Crucible, so don’t worry about that. And the Vanguard call me in ridiculously few meetings so that won’t be happening either. The only loud titan I know is Blue, and she’s been off on a mission,” she listed off against his concerns, smiling at Levi. “The rooms are up for choice. I have a singles room, so nobody can bother me except Ghost. And Saladin,” she faltered ever the slightest at the thought of being unable to count up Eris, but she quickly composed herself again.

She instinctively reached for a little piece of her robes, the fabric somehow comforting her when she wasn’t feeling too well. “I think the company will be good for us both.”

A small notification rang out from the console, announcing (in Eliksni) that Earth was closing in- minutes until they entered orbit again.

Levi's eyebrow raised. "You're involved with Daddy Saladbar himself? Interesting. Very interesting."

The Exo simply looked at the woman across from where he stood, studying her features in the light of the consoles and screens. He hadn't been able to see her well on Nessus at night- and it was interesting to finally behold a Warlock he considered his equal.

"I suppose you're right about company. Shelley's certainly going to enjoy it. She misses having other Ghosts to tease." There was a pause. "And I wouldn't mind having someone to back me up, full-time. Bounce theories about Light off each other. Maybe go see a movie or something, there's an old theater in New Chinatown I know of-" Levi stops the babbling again, and if Exo’s could blush, he would. 

The space outside flashed, and Earth pulled into view, the NLS drive dis-engaging.

Vax nodded, can’t stop the blush from coming up on her cheeks, and she cleared her throat. “Yes, he and I, uh...” she smiled a bit, a timid smile. “He and I are together. After I lost Eris I went away for months on end, to try and cope. He found me and kept me company, saved me,” she explained softly, intimately, as if it was a secret. “Not many people know it, though. We keep it close,”

She stood up when the console beeped, looked out the window and looked over the screen. She looked back at Levi and nodded. “I’d love that, Saladin has been busy with the Iron Banner and his Temple, I can use the distraction,” she reached for Ghost and dematerialised it, closing her palm. “Good to be home.”

With the help of Ghost she flew them towards the Tower, landing them in the hangar. “You good to walk on your own or do you need help?” she asked Levi, walking over to him.

Levi put on a bad British accent, "Well excuse meeeee madam, but I believe I am not so damaged that I cannot walk by myself!" he hoisted himself up on one leg, and immediately crashed down onto the deck, facedown into the floor.

"...not another word...just help me up, please" he said, slightly muffled.

Vax grabbed her helmet and had Ghost transmat it away. She watched Levi struggle to get up and then fall, and she sighed. “It’s okay to ask for help, you know,” she hummed, gently moving down to pick Levi up and help him exit the Ketch. 

Some frames came over to start inspecting the ship, and Vax looked around. “Where do I go to somebody who can help you?”

"We should get Shelley to a Cryptarch first, get her fixed up. It'll take a while to fix her, in the meantime there's a guy on the black market selling old Clovis Bray tech... I can meet back with you later after I have an... uncomfortable chat with them. I'll be okay, just, uh...." He quickly looks over to a frame, and hops over, leaning on it. "Arcite's cousin here will hobble me to that spot in the City... I'll be okay. I'm still a Guardian."

He looked back at Vax, waiting for a moment. "Thank you for the help... What's your room number? I'll come visit once I'm fixed up... and we can talk for real about your ideas. I promise." His voice sounded a tad uncertain, not because of anything soon, but because, in centuries of life, this was still new to him. Having someone to depend on. It was an interesting sensation for him.

Vax nodded. ”All right, I’ll bring her to the Cryptarch,” she promised Levi, resting a hand on his remaining shoulder and squeezing. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” she then asked worriedly, biting her lips. She didn’t like having to leave him like this, not knowing what’ll happen. 

She gently took Shelley’s shell and held it close to her. “My room is number 827. I’ll be waiting there.”

"Take care of Shelley, tell her I'll definitely buy her whatever shell she wants while we're here in town." The Warlock began to turn away, but then turned back to Vax for a moment.

"hey. You don't know me, but trust me, i'm more capable with one arm and one leg than Cayde-6 is with all his limbs." Levi winked (or blinked, with one eye, duh), and began to hobble away on the Frame. He seemed to have his confidence back, and as much as he claimed to loathe the City and the Tower, he seemed to be at ease. In fact, Vax could probably hear a small whistle come from the Exo as he walked down the stairs from the Hangar. "I'll see you later, Princess!" could be heard before he went out of sight, and a couple mechanics and Guardians in the Hangar either smirked, or began to pay more attention to whatever they were doing.

Vax nodded, about to turn away when Levi called to her once again. She chuckled a bit, whole-heartedly believing his comments about Cayde. After the endeavour on Nessus she had a hard time thinking he wouldn’t mess something up. She smiled at Levi before he walked away, and she turned away at last to go to the Cryptarch. 

When she saw how people responded to his nickname she couldn’t help but feel a blush rise to her cheeks, looking down as Ghost materialised next to her. “Vax.” it simply spoke, her name enough to let her know what it was saying. 

“It’s nothing, Ghost. He probably calls everybody names like those, of course people would talk. It’s nothing,” she hopped over to Rahool and told him what had happened. He gently took Shelley and promised to let Levi know when she would be repaired. 

Vax nodded and thanked him before going to her room, sighing loudly once she entered and closing her eyes, completely exhausted. 

“You’re back.”

Vax opened her eyes and immediately her face lit up. “Saladin!” she breathed, her face turning into a laugh as she hopped over to her partner and hugged him deeply, grinning from ear to ear. “I have somebody coming over later, let me tell you what happened.” they sat down and Vax started talking.

Sparks flew from a small shop, secluded in a rainy alleyway. A stray cat meowed, the black cat's meows echoing off the bricks of the tall buildings around the walkway.

A figure walked out of that certain alleyway in Little Detroit, a suburb of the Last City. 

Leviathan looked at his new arm, flexing the fingers of the new prosthesis with hesitant curiosity. The arms dealer, for lack of a better word, had been able to find most of the replacement parts from discarded, including his eye, leg, and various synthetic skin and armor plates. However, not every part was readily available, and Clovis Bray//Kaiju Line//Leviathan Model//Exomorphic Consciousness Frame parts were, apparently, in high demand, due to the rarity of that particular Exo line. Instead, the dealer had offered a choice: Either use a traditionally robotic prosthetic, or wait, for what could be months, for a new arm. Due to Shelley being gone, Levi opted for the quick solution. Right at the shoulder, nanomesh armor and carbon fiber muscle stopped; cold steel began. The Exo had garbed in a simple dark hoodie, pants and some Pre-Golden Age designed shoes.

Twilight fell as the Guardian walked up the Wall to the new Tower, all the while testing his replacements with satisfying results. Exactly the same as before, save for the fact the prosthesis was a deep purple, and the Exo body parts were a little scuffed compared to the pristine white of the undamaged parts of his body. For an artificial person, he was state-of-the-art. And he hated it. The lack of sensation to all but the pang of pain, and the occasional spark of enjoyment, had made him loathe the existence he was resigned to.

As he rounded a corner into the dormitory ward, a CLANG!ran out, and the Exo tumbled back, his Ghost repeatedly head-butting Levi again and again.

"Don't- ding-you- ding-ever- ding-do- ding-that- ding- again!thump" He caught his companion in his hands, chuckling to himself as the Ghost tried her best to beat the hell out of him. "Shelley, my little light, hey, look at me." He looked the Ghost in the eye, holding her top "horn" against his forehead. "I promise. Never again. I'm going to calm down from now on. We've even got an invitation to stay with Vax for now."

Shelley floated a couple inches away. "Oh, I didn't know you were on a first name basis with the stranger you basically used to get off-planet." She huffed, spinning away, but then she spoke up, spinning back "I'm glad you're okay too."

The two approached room 827, and Levi hesitated before knocking on the door. "What's wrong?" Shelley piped up, "I know why you really want to see more of her. Vax and Le-vi, sit-ting on a Ketch-"

The coldness of his look made her stop, the Ghost looking disheartened. He spoke quietly, looking at his floating companion. "It's foolish to want, what I can't achieve. It's useless when I'm stuck as an Exo. It wouldn't be fair to ask her to put a piece of her Light, her heart, towards me when I can't even feel it."

And with that somber statement, he knocked on the door.

Her room was dark and enveloped in silence, both Guardians lying in bed close to each other as they were resting. The silence had always fit them more than any words they could say to each other, and Vax quite appreciated that about Saladin. She huddled close to his body warmth, something something about being Awoken and cold that she couldn’t be bothered to think about. 

Saladin wrapped his arms around her and hummed, a low grumbling noise making his body vibrate almost. Vax nuzzled against his chest, the covers enveloping them in sweet warmth, resembling something like a cocoon.

When she heard the knocks on the door she opened her eyes a bit. “Hm, that should be him,” she mumbled sleepily, starting to sit up. She cleared her throat, “Just a minute!” she called out, sitting for just a moment more, reveling in the calm of the moment, before getting up and dressing herself, quickly grabbing some clothes she saw in her closet and pulling them on. She walked over to Saladin and kissed him lazily, smiling a bit. “Give me a moment,” she whispered. 

She hopped to her door and finally opened it enough to show herself, unable to contain her smile. “Levi!” she grinned, “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she walked out the door and gently closed it, standing in front of it and clasping her hands together. “Are you fully repaired now?”

She looked the Exo over, now without the armour suddenly noticing what a fancy line of Exo’s he really was. She’d not seen this model before on any Guardians, not that she’d been paying attention. The ones she did know, like Blue and Noah, were all very simple and common, but Levi... he looked almost like royalty, like he was important. She looked back at Levi’s eyes and smiled a bit, focusing back on the matter at hand.

"More or less, I'm going to have to make some adjustments to my shooting to get used to the new arm, but I should be okay." The Warlock seemed... fidgety. He was still absentmindedly twiddling his fingers, touching each finger to his thumb in succession, back and forth, at his side. Perhaps it was a simple self-diagnostic, perhaps it was nervousness. Most likely both. "Not to mention I have to explain to the Vanguard why I need a new ship, weapons, and Sparrow... but I made it. With a teensy bit of help." He smirked, but then turned a bit somber, he expression turning to unfamiliarity at best. "But um, er, so is this a good time or, uh, should I just leave? I can go, eh, just go get noodles or something, Shelley wanted one of those shells with the pointy bits aaaand uh...."

The Exo trailed off, not knowing what to do in this situation. Turns out centuries of fighting couldn't prepare him for casual conversation.

“You should be fine,” Vax assured the Warlock, eyeing his new arm with interest when she noticed the fidgeting, unsure what to think of it. “I can help explain it, Ikora loves me,” she smiled softly, shoving her hands in her pockets as she leaned back against the door. She couldn’t help but notice that the Exo seemed to be unsure of the situation, of what was happening. 

“This is a fine time, Saladin just came back from his mission but I told him what happened so it should be fine,” she hummed, smiling gently at Levi. “Stop worrying, okay? I’ll come with you to the noodles shop and we can talk about our plan, yeah? Hang on a second,” she held up her finger and then ducked back behind the door, leaving it open only a bit so it wouldn’t fall shut. 

She kneeled over Saladin and laid herself down for a moment, kissing him. “Give me a few hours, okay? He wants to talk about my proposition,” she hummed softly, smiling at her lover. He wiped a stray hair out her face and nodded with a gentle smile. “As long as you come back, I don’t quite mind where you go.” 

Vax stayed lying a moment longer before she hopped off and waved at him, before she walked out the door and closed it. “All right, let’s go.”

"I, uh, yeah, let's." He gives a small smile, almost trying to reassure himself. "I hope you can, I'd rather not be grounded, Earth isn't as fun as the rest of the system. Remind me to show you around the Vault of Glass sometime, after that one Fireteam took Atheon down it's just a nice series of caves, heh." The setting sun bathed the walkways of the Tower in bright oranges and yellows, lights beginning to flicker on here and there. 

"You know, you can probably tell... but I'm not used to all this. Being casual." Levi put extra emphasis on the word, pausing to think. "Since I became a Guardian, I haven't had... fun. I always thought it impossible in this body. My apartment is a bed, a bathroom and a bookshelf." He looked at the sun, sighing a bit. "I'm sorry if this whole thing is awkward on my end, but I'm very much new to interacting past taking orders, like a good little Exo."

"So, I apologize. I'll let you lead the way."

Vax laughed a bit. "I um, I'm actually the one who took down Atheon," she said softly, humbly almost. She thought back for a second, remembering the time where she ran through the Vault of Glass with her fireteam at the time, people she lost contact with over the years. She shook her head and focused back on Levi. "I'd still like to have you show me around, though. Maybe you can show me stuff I don't know yet," she teased lightly.

She then hesitated, opening her mouth and closing it again as she thought on what to say. "Levi, I..." she started, then huffing. "I know what you mean, you'll be okay," she assured the Exo, suddenly realising how odd it was to have such a posh-looking model of an Exo being so out of place socially. "I can help you get a better apartment, one like I have," she then offered, perking up. "I don't mind a bit of awkwardness, let's go to the noodle place you were talking about." she grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him along, hoping to drag him out of his thoughts.

"I'll be okay. I'm just not used to learning new things. But I guess as long as I have someone to help me out, learning how to be a person, not just a Guardian, will be okay."

Levi was definitely surprised by the Awoken taking his hand- not in a bad way, but he was definitely not expecting it. "One thing at a time, Princess...." (Shelley would probably roll her eyes if she wasn't in the backpack). He squeezed her hand a little tighter, trying to reassure both of them as they walked. "But I'll defer to your judgement... after all, I should be taking orders from a hot-shot Guardian like you." The Exo smiles, as they walk to the small noodle stand right outside the New Monarchy hangout. "And I don't know about a new place yet, and I'm probably not giving it enough credit. The balcony is nice, at least..."

Vax felt a bit weird to just grab Levi's hand, usually she's not one to quickly touch others, but something about Levi told her that he could use it. "Well, I've had to learn how to be a person, too. It's hard to adapt after having been used to being just a soldier, so I get it," she explained, sitting down on a chair and sighing. She gently pulled out Ghost and allowed it to fly around as she looked over the menu. 

She eyed Levi in front of her, head slightly angled in thought. "Think about the place, it could do you good," she said gently. then ordering when the waiter came. She sat back a bit distracted, lost in thought at this Exo she didn't expect to make friends with. "Have you.. ever had a fireteam?"

Levi fiddled with chopsticks, trying to use his new arm delicately, eventually snapping one in his hand accidentally. He huffed, opening a new package of wooden utensils. "I did. An Awoken brother and sister, the best Striker and Gunslinger I have ever met. I happened upon them on Venus. when they were found by their Ghosts. I helped them get to the Tower, and they stuck around with me a for a bit after. They've been running Recon on Mercury until the Red War. They stopped reporting when the Red War hit... I don't know what could have happened. I looked for a good while. Noct and Deia were their names. All good things, I guess."

The waiter brought a plate of gyoza, a courtesy to their second most reugular customer, the first being Cayde.

"It's not a big deal. Noct was strong enough to arm wrestle an Ogre, and Deia was smsart enough to pull her brother out of harm's way. They're alive." He smiles. "I just wish I know where they ended up. I'm used to being alone, as I'm sure is apparent. They don't need a big brother anymore."

Vax was surprised to hear he had actually had a fireteam, the question asked moreso to fill the silence before the questions that would undoubtedly had come from the Exo. She pursed her lips, rubbing her fingers over her chopsticks in thought of Levi’s story. “So... you’ve not even tried looking for them?” she asked softly, carefully, afraid to overstep a boundary. “And I- I don’t mean that in a judgmental way, just curious,”

She stayed silent for a moment, really not knowing if he cared one bit about her own story. May as well try. “I... When Ghost resurrected me it was raining. Pouring, rather,” she started, not looking at Levi as she broke her chopsticks apart and absentmindedly started fidgeting with them. “Not that you care, but... I don’t even know why I’d tell you. It’s got nothing to do with your story,” she mumbled, suddenly insecure. She hadn’t told somebody her resurrection ever before apart from Eris and Saladin, people she knew she could trust. 

But she could trust Levi, right? She bit her lips, swallowing. “It’s - to get back to the point,” she stammered, a blush rising to her cheeks as she tried to look for the words she needed. “I think you should look for them again. With my help this time,” she then said firmly, nodding to emphasise her point. “We Guardians need to stick together, especially family. In the Red War I lost the only friends I had, you have no idea what I wouldn’t do to get them back,” her breath got caught in her throat, and she was silent for a second as she tried to compose herself. She cleared her throat and looked away. “Excuse me.”

The Exo took a bite or two of a dumpling, steam rising from the morsel. "I'd like that. Mercury isn't a cakewalk, you know. Vex and cultists everywhere." He took a drink of water, not taking his eyes off the Awoken beside him. In the small moment, this was the first time he thought of her as beautiful- of course he would keep that finding to himself, but he quickly looked away before she caught him staring. Where did that come from? he thought, and Lev was glad that he couldn't blush. Vax seemed relaxed around him; this silent woman who he had met only a day before. Levi couldn't believe it.

Your heartbeat's up, Lev. What's going through your head?Shelley piped up over a private channel, but her Guardian stayed silent. In turn, that silence was all the answer she needed, and the Ghost whistled. Alright, I'll stop bothering you. Wake me, when you need me. A small beep on the channel signified Shelley signing off.

"Tell me about your resurrection. I'll tell you what, you tell me about yours, and I guarantee I can one-up ye. Or I'll pay for a wax on your new Ketch." Levi smiled softly, "Trust me, losing half my limbs was a cakewalk compared to where I woke up."

Vax blinked when he asked about it, finding it odd people would truly care, an unfamiliar feeling of fondness for Levi suddenly appearing. She cleared her throat and smiled a bit. “I... well, I got resurrected in a downpour,” she started once again, grabbing a dumpling with her chopsticks and putting it in her mouth, before covering it with a hand and blowing out some air. “Hot...!” she breathed, closing her eyes for a moment so she didn’t have to see Levi’s face, expecting him to laugh or ridicule her. Such a rookie mistake too, she’s had dumplings before. 

She bit through and swallowed the dumpling, opening her eyes again and averting her gaze from Levi. “It was on Earth. I think I was an exception with that, compared to other Guardians. I don’t know where it was, but it wasn’t good,” she was silent for a moment as she thought back to those days of solitude, loneliness. “I,” her voice lowered down to a whisper. “I remember thinking I was the only one left,” she murmured, biting her lips. “I was surrounded by skeletons, remains of people. It was a mass grave,” she shuddered, the warmth of the summer evening suddenly seeming ice cold. “I was resurrected into somebody’s arms, imagine waking up to a skeleton holding you,” she finally looked back up to Levi. “It freaked me out, Ghost had to calm me before it was able to tell me what every Ghost tells its Guardian,”

She sighed, leaning back and crossing her arms. “I encountered somebody days later, when I was walking to the Last City. It was... it was a human, for sure, but... he had these eyes,” she swallowed thickly and then shook her head, as if to shake off her memories. “I had to kill him days later, I now realise it was a Guardian without their Ghost, gone completely mad. I thought I’d killed the last other person on Earth,” she took a deep and heavy breath. “I know it’s not as bad as for some people but... it messed me up. Made me even more afraid to talk.” she shrugged, looking away once more.

He had chuckled when she burnt her mouth, but as the story progressed, Levi slowly took a glimmer chip out of his pocket and slid it across the table, looking sympathetic. "I'm sorry you had to go through that... "it's not enough", Mistress Fate seems to say sometimes. She always wants to twist your hand, make it so you can't have a moment of clarity in the storm of life." As he said his anecdote, his fingers began to twitch again, doing the same thumb-touching movement.

A waiter brought two bowls of shoyu (soy sauce-based broth, beef or tofu, thicker noodles) ramen, sliding them on the table as night began to fall, more lights illuminating the Tower and the sky around it.

"I awoke in a Vault. Deep in the Ishtar Sink. Surrounded by other Exo frames. Except I was the only one who had been implanted with consciousness. They were all prototypes of some line, other than whatever the Bray family had been making. Things like nanobots, and applied Light synthweaves. It was cool and all, but not when the only light was from your Ghost." Steam rose off the bowls as he pulled one towards him, the neon sign at the stand reflecting and refracting off the rich broth. "Shelley was only able to squeeze through a grate, and wait with me until a Guardian eventually happened upon me. You never think a mechanical being could starve to death. She brought me back three times before I got out. Damn Clovis Bray and his realism doctrine from the Traveler. You think a company, trying to build the perfect machine, would be able to build an Exo without requiring them to eat. But hey, now I know what it feels like." Levi spun some noodles on his chopsticks, glowing eyes seeming to stare off into nothing. "I often wonder why I became an Exo. Why I would choose to forgo the pleasures of whatever life I had. I don't think I was a soldier, or worker." He took a bite, making an extremely active effort not to slurp in front of the posh Princess. 

"I guess we're both just a psychiatrist's field day, huh, beautiful?"

Vax sighed, smiling softly and shrugging. “I haven’t told many about my resurrection,” she whispered to Levi, then looking down at the glimmer. “Why...?” she chuckled a bit, confused, as she grabbed the glimmer and twiddled with it a bit before closing her hand around it.

She thought for a second and then suddenly noticed his twitching fingers, the fidgeting something she’d noticed before but just now really wondering what it was. The Warlock resisted the urge to put her hand over his to make him stop, not wanting to bring attention to it in case it was something bad. 

She thanked the waiter when their food came, grabbing her chopsticks and starting to twirl the noodles around them. She looked at Levi when he spoke, his voice suddenly a lot more serious than she’d heard it before, something about it making her feel something.

In the middle of his story it started dripping outside, and then it was properly raining, the rain draining out some of the noise of the city. “Wasn’t it... terrifying?” she then whispered, frowning a bit. “To be in an unknown facility like that, surrounded by models like you,” she shuddered at the thought, looking down at her noodles in thought as she brought some to her mouth. She was about to reply to him when he called her beautiful, and she choked on her noodles and started coughing, looking away as she felt tears rise to her eyes. “I’m- fine,” she wheezed, hand in front of her mouth as she coughed. 

She finally calmed down and sat back up straight, not looking at Levi. “I, suppose so,” she murmured, feeling s blush rising to her cheeks. “The Tower does offer therapy, did you know?”

"I have better things to do than let a shrink get into my files for hours every day... besides, I have enough help from people who keep trying to get me to be social." He winks, and laughed when she was done choking a little bit on the noodles. "What, you can eviscerate an Archon with one Nova Bomb but you can't take a compliment?" Levi's tone was teasing, his laughter dying down a little bit. "I'll be okay. I was more curious than anything. To be honest, I wasn't scared so much as I was bored. Shelley helped me hone the Light before I was able to escape." He conjured a small hologram of chopsticks, making them walk around the fingers of his free hand. "That's where I learned how to do this. When you have a lot of free time on your hands, you learn to amuse yourself with the tools at hand." The Light faded away, and Levi leaned back, noodle bowl empty. He looked at his new hand again, fidgeting and shaking now absent from his movement. 

"That's why Shelley called me Frankenstein's monster. I was put together from the best parts of at least 30 different Exo units. I'm unique, at least." He thought for a moment. "Well, as unique as a robot can be."

"Also, you totally beat me, but the Glimmer is your split of the bounty from the Ketch. Amanda said it's full of enough scrap to melt down into fifteen different ships, and I think they're even keeping it as a Trojan Horse. Whatever Guardians captured it must work pretty well together." Lev smirked.

Vax nodded slowly. “I can understand that, I haven’t gone there either,” she sighed, laying her chopsticks down as she got a napkin and wiped at her mouth. “And well, I’m hardly trying to have you be social, I’m merely making sure a fellow Guardian and Warlock will survive to see another day,” she shrugged, fiddling with the chopsticks again. “And yeah. Compliments aren’t my strong suit, especially not from-“ she halted, then looked away with a blush. “Nevermind,” she couldn’t get the words over her lips, especially not from somebody like you. Who knows how Levi’d react to that, who knows what she even meant with it. She didn’t even know it herself. 

A day ago she didn’t know him, had just been minding her own business on Nessus, and next thing she knew she’s eating noodles with some random Warlock, something that can be considered a date. She felt her cheeks heat up once again, and she huffed as she focused back on Levi. She hated blushing so much, it was such an awful display of emotions. 

“I haven’t seen many Guardians be able to do that,” she hummed softly, cocking her head. “I know I haven’t been able to, even though I want to. You should teach me,” she shoved her bowl aside, having had enough for now. “And I,” she hesitated, then pressed on. “I like the look. It’s new, you look, good,” she mumbled, pursing her lips. “Keep the glimmer, you can use it to buy yourself a better place. Or any upgrades, I have enough,” she summoned the amount of glimmer again and handed it back to Levi. 

She smiled a bit at his last comment. “Well, two Voidwalkers are bound to do good, don’t you think? Let’s talk about our plan, though. After all, that is the reason we’re here.”

"I will admit that I probably look a little more normal than the average Exo." He chuckled. "I'm not into the whole horn thing like Cayde, and I don't understand any Exo who adds miniguns to their frame." But then Levi froze at her compliment, not realizing that he had been putting it on a little thick until now. He coughed, hurriedly sitting up straight and paying attention to Vax with renewed interest, thinking that it was probably important to not be his wishy-washy self. "You, uh, haven't known many Guardians that could make Light constructs? Or you haven't known many Guardians that were able to make you blush as hard as you are right now?"

The Warlock mentally kicked himself. Why would I say that? I just met her. I don't even know how that works with this body! I'm insecure enough as it is, I don't know if I can handle something like this-

He cleared his throat. "I, uh, yeah, the plan. Plan. The plaaaaaaaaaan. Lead away."

Vax blinked at Levi, once more unable to contain the blush rising to her blue cheeks. “You-“ she started, huffing, then looking away and closing her eyes for a moment. She looked back almost in an instant, grinning. “You’re dumb,” she chuckled, ignoring the jump her stomach seemed to make. “I haven’t know many Guardians who could make Light constructs, I’ve had people make me blush before,” she shrugged. 

She hoped he couldn’t see how anxious she was, her heart thumping in her throat. She could tell he was flirting, and though she loved the attention, she was so not used to it. With Saladin their relationship developed naturally, some flirting here and there, but nothing like what she was doing with Levi right now. She was unsure of it all, with Eris gone and Saladin with her now, she didn’t know what she wanted. Even if she did like him. 

“So, we could go on some patrols tomorrow, maybe?” she hummed casually, not meeting Levi’s eyes. “Or we can search for some ships you’d want.”

He chuckled to himself, taking the Glimmer from the table. "If I'm so dumb then why did your face turn fifteen shades darker when I said that?" Lev piped up, not letting her escape the line of questioning. He laughed at her reaction, leaning back again with his water in hand. The Exo was.... relaxing. For the first time in a long time. In the field, most Guardians' concept of relaxing was finding a quiet spot to nap while their Ghost kept watch. This kind of social interaction was a welcome change.

Is she worth it?

"A patrol or two would be nice, I have to get used to shooting with a different arm. I can find a hunk of junk Amanda Holliday is willing to part with in the morning." He leaned back his chair on two legs, balancing a bit. "I'll follow wherever you decide to go, Princess." Levi suddenly realized what that meant. "Uh, on patrol, I mean."

Vax pursed her lips. “I don’t often get complimented, as I said earlier,” she smiled a bit, looking outside at the pouring rain for a moment. She still couldn’t quite comprehend what was happening, she somehow infinitely drawn towards the Exo, feeling like a lovesick child. And perhaps she was, after not even a day. She didn’t know what to think. 

She opened her mouth and then hesitated, blinking a few times before going through with a determined look in her eyes. “You can follow me wherever if you want.” she then said softly, looking Levi straight in the eyes for once. She hadn’t discussed it with Saladin, hadn’t been able to tell anybody in this time except for Ghost, and its opinion had been clear, follow your gut. And her gut told her this was good, that this was fine. They’d figure something out.

"I... don't know for sure what I want. All joking aside, I would... like.. to, uh.." He became flabbergasted again, trying to articulate his words slowly. And this time, Levi reached over and grabbed Vax's hand with his good arm, looking down at the ground. "I think we both know where this is going. And I, for one, don't really know how to proceed farther than this. Flirting is the easy part. I... I just don't want to mess anything up. I'm not easy to get along with."

He paused. "I'm just following my good-ol' carbon fiber gut here. It tells me to spend more time with you. But it's your decision to make, Princess. You're very involved with a could people and I'm sure a third wouldn't help, especially since you're uncomfortable with some situations... but it's up to you. 

So, jump into the air with me, again?

Vax swallowed thickly when Levi started talking, her heart thumping loudly in her throat. She was so anxious. She had told him what she wanted clear enough, but now she was back to her anxious self, afraid Levi would reject her or tell her it was all a joke, not to be taken seriously. When he took her hand in his, however, she knew. She knew that was not at all what he was trying to say, so she gripped his hand tighter almost subconsciously. "I'm fine," she assured him them, eyes seeming to burn with a determination not yet seen before as she looked up into Levi's eyes.

"Eris is- Eris is gone, for now," she started, taking a deep breath. "It's only Saladin, and he knows of Eris. He knows about you, I told him about you, he- he'd understand I'm sure," she nodded, then biting her lips. "I- I don't want to rush it though, I... I want to get to know you more. So, let's do some missions, jump up into the air once again, and then we'll just, see," she looked away, unable to hold her gaze any longer. "To think I didn't know you yesterday." she sighed softly.

"I'll let you take the lead this time. Somehow, I think I'll have to learn how to be a team player again." Levi smiled softly, trying to be as sincere as he could. "You're infinitely more experienced than I am, Ms. 'the vanguard gives me all the cool missions'. I'll defer to your judgement. Wherever you go, I will follow." He did a tiny double-take. "Uh, not in the creepy way, though. I'll stick to my apartment for now" Lev chuckled, leaning back yet again as the night dwindled on.

The waiter came, and Levi paid him quickly. "Did you hear about the rumors of the Infinite Forest being opened to Guardians? Do you really think we could find Noct and Deia?"

He stopped. If only for an instant, he seemed... hopeful. No longer pessimistic.

Vax smiled a bit, not looking at Levi as she just simply held his hand, eyeing the intricacies of his hand with vague interest. “You think I’m more experienced?” she chuckled, looking at Levi with a crooked but genuine smile. “Aren’t you the one who’s been alive for longer?” she teased gently, humming softly. 

“Hm, the Infinite Forest? Wouldn’t hurt to take a look,” she then said, standing up. “We’ll find them. They’re out there,” she assured Levi, smiling at him. “Let’s go to another place? We can talk more there?”

Levi also stood, stretching a little bit to work out the kinks in his arm. "Wherever you want, princess. I have all the time in the world. Metaphorically. Although I could go visit the Vault if you wanted some physical time." He chuckled at the dumb joke, proud of it in a small way. Levi tried to loosen up, to attempt to make Vax feel more at ease- he could tell she was a tad bit apprehensive at the thought of this new adventure, and she wasn't the only one. She's right. About me having more experience. I should know better than to be wasteful with actions....

"Did you have somewhere in mind?"

Vax laughed a bit. “That’s a bad joke and you know it,” she nudged Levi a bit, hesitating a moment before she entangled her arm into his. “There is this area in the Tower... I don’t go out much. But there’s also this-“ she hesitated, the spot only ever really something she and Saladin had shared, it was theirspot. “Nevermind. The Tower has this nice little park area. But there are also enough alcoves where you can sit down really nicely and talk,” 

She led them up to the path to the Tower, the dark night sky illuminated by the fairy lights of the Last City. “I... have always appreciated the City,” she said softly, looking around the bustling streets. “Nobody really realises what we are when we’re here, no expectations...”

Levi hummed contently, appreciating that Vax was comfortable enough to wrap her arm into his. "I'm glad the Tower has a park like that. It doesn't seem like there's enough vegetation left in the Cosmo, and there's too much overgrowth in the EDZ. It'll be nice to sit under a normal tree for once." The Exo looked into the night sky, staring at the Moon and surrounding stars. 

"I agree, as well. It's nice to be free from the Vanguard breathing down your throat, or a Vex erasing you from time, or a Legionary-" He stopped himself. "It's nice to be a normal person. I think many Guardians, myself included, can forget we're not just soldiers. We're people too, and we deserve some R+R every so often. I, uh......" He hesitated to share his secret. "I have a garden on my balcony. Nothing big, just herbs and ivy. Enough to make me feel happy to have created something, instead of destroying something."

The Warlock nodded as she listened to Levi talking, his voice a pleasant sound in the drizzling night. “The park I’m talking about is beautiful, it has these fairy lights all over it, it’s got such a nice atmosphere,” she sighed contently, completely at ease with the Exo despite knowing him for so short. Something about him....

She looked at him, at his face and his glowing eyes. “We get resurrected into a war, of course we won’t know what it’s like to be people,” she said softly, the wind blowing around them activating some wind chimes. “A garden?” she then gasped wondrously, a smile on her face. “Really? Is it going well?”

They arrived at the Tower’s entrance, a small lobby with some elevators going up. “Don’t you think it’s strange that civilians can just go up to us if they want to, but they don’t?” she called for an elevator, waiting with Levi for a moment before it arrived and they stepped in. The doors closed, and the elevator started going up smoothly. 

Vax closed her eyes for a moment, a slight blush on her face as she thought of it, but she thought against it. It would be too soon. She opened her eyes again and simply leaned a bit heavier against Levi, resting her head on his shoulder.

"It's going alright. The City's rainy enough where I don't have to worry about them if I'm gone for too long. They help with my cooking, as well." Levi froze, knowing he probably just inadvertently gave up another facet of his personal life. "I, uh, but, yeah." He stammered a bit as Vax put her head on his shoulder, a small twang of embarrassment flashing through his psyche. 

"If I was protected by an immortal being who can conjure black holes and fold space and time, I would be fearful as well. I just wish there were more normal people on the Consensus council, not just Dictator Hideo and Lakweird-3. Arach Jalaal is okay. He gave me a sticker one time. But I wish there was more we can do to make people feel alright around us. No more parades from the Titan Corps, right? We need to seem like normal people, because we're not that different. I don't want to be that different." 

Levi, in turn, rested his head on Vax's.

Vax chuckled softly, grabbing something out of her pocket with her free hand an showing it to Levi, a New Monarchy bond. “Be careful what you say,” she winked, smiling at Levi as she stuffed the bond back into her pocket. “Hideo is okay, just... curious. You get used to him in no time, I promise,” she looked up when the ding of the elevator’s arrival sounded, and she detached herself from Levi, almost reflexively going back into her Guardian mindset. 

“Here, I’ll show you the park. You like your greens,” she smiled a bit reserved at Levi, hesitating for just a second before grabbing his hand and starting to lead him through corridors and over bridges, the Tower seeming so different from the City. Perhaps more strict? 

She then pushed through a door and walked them into a gorgeous open area, filled with patches of green and various colours from the flowers. The trees covered the night sky and granted some cover from the drizzling rain, the fairy lights entwined in the branches giving an inviting glow of the area. 

“Here, a campfire,” she dragged Levi towards a small and hidden area surrounded by trees and bushes, some cushions stashed on some sofas around a campfire. Vax held her hand over the campfire, and a spark of fire escaped it as she lit the wood. She then sat down on a sofa and sighed, bundling up with the blankets lying around the sofas. “Told you it was nice.” she grinned at Levi.

"I'm kidding, everyone wants to help the City in different ways." Levi sat at the foot of the sofa, running his hands through the tall grass around it. He sat quietly for a moment, thinking about the world around him, the fire in front of him, and his companion beside him. For the first time in a long while, he felt a semblance of peace. "This is nice... and I wouldn't mind coming here again. As long as you were with me." Levi tapped her knee, leaning back on the couch next to her legs. "Sometimes, I don't know if it's worth it. This Light. This life. But it's the little things that matter, I think. Going out for noodles with cute people. Having your Ghost ridicule you. Little things can make you feel alive." 

The rain fell outside the shelter made by the trees, and a droplet fell on Levi's hand. He looked at it, studying the orb on his hand before it ran off onto the ground. 

"I felt that. Huh."

The embers of the fire floated up between the leaves of the trees, the gentle light filling the clearing.

Vax looked at Levi, watched him seemingly contemplate the situation at hand, his new hand waving through the tall grass as he just sat there. She hadn’t seen such a beautiful man before. She felt a new heat rise to her cheeks and her stomach seemed to jump at the thought, and she cleared her throat, looking into the fire. “It is a nice area, indeed,” she said softly, her voice having a certain hum to it. “Secluded enough that people won’t really find you, and our Ghosts can turn off communication if we really want seclusion, it’s-“ she stopped when she realised what she may be implying, and she chuckled a bit, perhaps nervously. 

She looked at the Exo as he sat back and tapped her knee, the air around them seeming so loaded it felt hard to breathe. “I- uh...” she composed herself. “The Light may not be a wish for many, some of us even hate having it. Hate being brought back from peaceful death to fight a war we weren’t meant to be in,” she bit her lips, looking at her hands. “I wouldn’t change it, though,” she then admitted. “It is my life now, and I’m sure I met people, amazing people, I would’ve missed out on otherwise. Sometimes it’s not too bad,” 

She looked at Levi, then at the water droplet on his hand. She leaned forwards, closer into Levi’s space, to observe it more. “You... felt that?” she whispered wondrously. “I always assumed Exo’s didn’t have a nerve system. Complicated things to make.” she breathed out softly, ignoring her proximity with the Exo. 

It felt intoxicating.

"It's been hard for me to sensate like that... I didn't think I could. Maybe it just has to be with the right person." Levi smiled, a little nervous, butterflies in his stomac- wait, how is this happening. Was something in these noodles or...? I have butterflies in my stomach. I can feel butterflies in my stomach. I didn't eat butterflies. What's going on?

The Exo stood, looking up at the tree roof. "I guess it just took someone to get me out of my shell. I always thought I could, but I never knew for sure." A couple more droplets fell on his face as he closed his eyes, just standing silently until he chose to speak, words only a hair louder than silent. As he did, he opened his eyes, turning to the couch and raising his good arm in an invitation to Vax. 

"I'm sure I'm terrible but... would you like to dance?"

He had never felt this way before. This is still new.

It felt intoxicating.

Vax blinked when Levi suddenly stood up, the air around her suddenly breathable again. She hadn’t realised she’d been holding in her breath. “Levi-“ she started, then closing her mouth as he started talking. She watched him relish in the feeling of the rain droplets on his metal, and she rested her head on her hands as she sat forward, a small but genuine smile on her face. 

When he extended his arm she perked up and blinked. “Uh- uh,” she could feel her cheeks heat up. “I- have never learned how to dance,” she admitted, Levi’s eyes feeling like they were burning into hers. In the best way possible. She hesitated a moment more, then she sighed out a breath and looked down, nodding. “All right,” she looked back up with a small smile. “Teach me.” 

She stood up and slid the blankets off her, walking into Levi’s personal space as she looked at him expectantly, hoping he’d tell her what to do.

"I- uh- well we have to start like this. I think." He reaches out and pulls her close, trying to be slow and deliberate as to not scare the shy Awoken away. Levi was a bit surprised by a sensation he had not yet had. The woman with him. She seemed to radiate more than surprise and intrigue. No, she... she was...

Being the same height, Levi looked her in the eyes, smiling with joy. "You're warm. I can tell. You're wonderfully warm." The naïve dancer wrapped his arms around his partner's waist, trying to be serious, and if he had cheeks he would be beet-red with anticipation. 

A melodic tune echoed from the bushes, a soft serenade, just enough volume to give them music, but not interrupt the rest of the park. Shelley had transmatted into a shrub, quietly playing an audio file from Old Earth.

"I think we step together... back and forth-like, and I believe it is generally frowned upon to step on one another's shoes." Levi joked, gently emoting with his head towards where they should start. "Just follow my lead. I think I can figure it out. Can't be harder than what we get into out in the field.

And so, he began, gently trying to lead with a few short steps, pulling Vax along with him on the soft grass.

Vax felt her heart skip a beat when he pulled her even closer than she had been standing, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her breath got caught in her throat, she just now realising she was the same height as Levi and was thus directly looking into his eyes. She felt fuzzy, as if she could faint at any time. She was so close to him. 

She averted her gaze, taking a breath, as if she had been unable to. She decided to focus on something else, resting her hands on Levi’s shoulders. “Saladin always tells me about how cold I am,” she chuckled softly, adjusting her hands a bit on Levi’s shoulder, feeling the metal linings beneath the cloth. She looked back up into Levi’s eyes, her heart seeming to beat so loudly she was surprised the Exo didn’t hear. 

When she heard the music she breathed out a soft breath and smiled a bit, anxious, but also completely exhilarated to be so close to the Warlock. “And people did this before the Collapse?” she wondered aloud, following along with Levi’s swaying. “Why?”

"To a cold machine like me, I'm sure you'll always feel warm. Besides, you can conjure Sol and I can't, so I think you win by default. And hey, look at me, you're doing fine." They danced a bit more, Levi becoming a bit more confident with the slow movement as they made a rotation around the dying fire. His chest relaxed, the stress built up from starting this exercise into the unknown beginning to wear off. "People did this everywhere. At social gatherings. In groups, to learn and show off. To be more intimate with another person..." He smiled closing his eyes. "I guess I can see why it's fun. To relax and try to get to know another person nonverbally. It certainly is interesting."

"You're interesting. You're this little enigma that pulled me out of a lake, and you've somehow changed my demeanor in only a couple hours. It's either you, or the radiolaria that did that." He smirked. "Joking, joking."

He pulled her even closer.

Vax sighed softly, utterly content with the slow and languid movements of the dancing they were doing, her body more at ease now that she'd gotten into the rhythm of it. "More intimate with another person, hm?" she hummed softly, hesitating for a quick moment before removing her hands from Levi's shoulders and wrapping her arms around his neck instead, leaning her head against his shoulder as she closed her eyes. This was way more comfortable, more intimate. Exactly as dancing apparently was. 

"Me, interesting?" she laughed softly, the thought unbelievable to her. "I'm just an Awoken Warlock trying to make her way through this second life I was given," she whispered, opening her eyes and gazing off into the small fire. She was quiet for another few moments, comfortable right where she was. "Levi, I-" she moved back a bit to look the Exo in the eyes, hands clasped together behind his neck. She averted her gaze again, suddenly shy, as her cheeks warmed up. 

His hands on her waist were somehow warm, comfortable, as if they fell into a space that was meant for him. His proximity into her personal space was also something she ought to find uncomfortable, but something about it just, wasn't. She hadn't known him a day ago, and yet here she was, completely enamoured by this Exo Warlock she saved from a wreckage, this oddity amongst other Guardians. 

She looked back into Levi's eyes, a certain determination burning in her eyes as she moved her hands to his cheeks. She closed her eyes as she leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Levi's mouth, staying there for just a moment before she pulled back and rested her head on his shoulder again, too anxious to stay and register his response.

"I... I..." He struggled to find the words in the few seconds of time immediately after the contact. There was electricity flowing through his body; he was made of steel and alloy and polymer and Light; but, in this moment, he felt like he was flesh and blood. Like he could find a place next to her, even, to bide his time until he could find a better purpose. Or was this is purpose? Could he find a better life here?

"I felt that." He hugged her tighter, almost in disbelief. "I..... felt.... that..." And he had. Artificial neurons were firing. Pressure sensors and triggers and heat proximity alerts and probably a million more fantastical things that made him realize:

He was still a person.

He gently placed a hand under her chin, lifting her head up to look in her eyes. "Hey, eyes up, Guardian. Can I have another one? I don't know if I got a sample that was long enough..." Levi did his little smirk, softly.

Vax felt her heart pounding endlessly, it felt like it was caught in her throat, she was so anxious while she listened to Levi's struggle to find words. When he pulled her closer, however, she swallowed thickly, breathing out a bit shakily. Her hands fumbled a bit behind his neck, nervous, as she sort of felt the metal beneath her fingers, traced it a bit. It was almost soothing to do.

When Levi lifted her head up to look into her eyes, she stammered a bit, but then he spoke. And she felt her cheeks heat up, the blush staying there for a long time too as she sort of looked at him, the intricacies of his crafted face, yet the smoothness of it so human-like, she wanted to touch and trace the lines all day. She was at loss of words, just staring at him for something that felt like hours, when all-in-all it may have been a minute or less.

She simply looked down at his mouth, her hands once again settling on his rounded cheeks, a small smile on her face from his joke. Damn this Exo and his stupid jokes, always trying to be so smooth. "You're dumb," she murmured, before leaning back in and pressing her lips on the cold metal of his face once again, staying there for a bit longer now before just pulling back slightly and resting her forehead against his, eyes still closed and cheeks heated with lovesick embarrassment.

"If I'm so dumb then why are we falling in-" He stopped himself, and gently cleared his throat, smiling. "It's getting pretty late. I'm sure you're getting tired of all this excitement. Plus, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow... unless you had something else in mind?" He smiled at her again- his beaming hadn't stopped for at least a few minutes now. He felt like a new man. He felt good.

The fire dwindled down, only coals remaining, and Shelley turned off the music, transmatting back into nothingness. They still stood there, embraced to each other, as the rain began to to pick up, soft thunder in the distance. Levi took hold of Vax's hands, looking down and closing his eyes.

"Thank you. For everything. I appreciate you coming out of your comfort zone to help me out. You saved my life in more ways than one, now. You say the word, and I'll do it." His heartbeat slowed, his demeanor becoming a rare ocean of calm. Change happens. For Levi, change has happened in a good way. Thanks to Vax.

"I can't believe two days ago I didn't know you existed."

Vax nearly choked. She looked away as she coughed a bit. Falling in love, he was right, and she was too afraid to admit it out loud. The silence enveloped the two Warlocks still in an embrace, and then he grabbed her hands, her waist suddenly feeling cold. She looked back at the Exo, that beaming and happy Exo, in front of her, and then at his hands holding hers. 

His words were so sincere, so differentfrom what she was used to hearing. It was caring, and she’s really ever heard those kind of words from two other people. She gripped his hands a bit tighter, a small smile developing on her face. “You did, though. Through stories,” she looked at his face, cocked her head a bit. “You’ve heard about Atheon’s destruction, Crota’s demise...” she trailed off, sighing then. She wished she could invite him to stay the night, to stay bundled up together all night long and just sleep, but she really had some explaining to do to Saladin. 

“Shall we meet tomorrow at 11 am, the hangar? That way we can take my ship and actually get back to that Golden Age ship on Nessus. Or Mercury,” she shrugged, stepping back from Levi, breaking their bubble. It had to happen anyway. “We can do whatever you’d like to do first, I’ll follow.” she smiled softly at him.

"No, I've only heard legends of the Vanguard's favorite guardian. There's a difference between a legend and a person. And trust me, I'd much rather know the person." Levi said this quietly, releasing her hands as she stepped away. It was bittersweet, but it wasn't a permanent separation. "Let's go to Mercury, and don't worry about having to share your ship. I've got it covered." The Exo seemed hesitant to leave, even though it was he that suggested that they call it a night; he didn't want this important night to end. His prosthetic hand flinched, almost if he was thinking of grabbing Vax's hand and running off to who knows where- but it was only a thought. I guess what they say is true.... love is one hell of a drug.

"Don't worry about having to share your ship, Princess. I've got it covered. I'm going to go do some late-night shopping, I've heard rumors of an... interesting gun created by a a Crucible manufacturer. And as for when I get home..." He walked beside her, offering his arm to walk her back to the dorms. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep, with this many thoughts of you running through my head.

The Exo, surprisingly, seemed to be giving off heat of his own. Like a real person. Whether it was a new portion of Exo programming, or a blessing of the Light, Levi seemed more real than ever.

Vax was content walking with Levi, her arm interlinked with his once again. At night not a lot of Guardians were out, which meant not a lot of people who’d see them. “Thoughts of me?” she hummed then, a blush on her cheeks as she smiled softly. “Heh, I’m sure you’ll be all right,” she assured him, breathing out a soft sight. 

She didn’t want this night to end, there was something magical about it. 

When they arrived at her room, she stammered a bit, knowing Saladin was in there, probably asleep, but nevertheless waiting for his partner to come home. Vax sighed, turning to look at Levi with a small smile. “I’d- have invited you to stay the night,” she said softly, her hands once again moving to cup Levi’s smooth cheeks, her thumb tracing one of the lines. “But I have some explaining to do to that Iron Lord. Don’t worry though, he’ll understand,” she assured Levi, nodding solemnly. 

She leaned in and gently kissed him on the mouth again for a few seconds before pulling back, smiling softly as she moved away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” she waved at the Exo and then opened the door, walking through it and closing it gently.

Shelley appeared next to Levi, floating a bit over his shoulder, piping up in a musical tone. "Alright, I admit it, she's pretty nice. Although her Ghost could be a little more polite." Her Guardian chuckled, sticking his hands in his pockets as he walked towards a segment of the hallway with an elevator and a couple of railings, giving a skywalk to the view of the City. Shelley spoke again, in a more somber tone: "Are you going to tell her why you were really on Nessus? Messing with time is something that could get us, and by extension her, into some serious trouble."

Levi looked at the floating shell, sighing. "Let's... keep that between us for now. It's bad enough she had to save me. I thought the ship would've been able to take a small Vex timeshift... but it is of no importance. There's still Mercury. I'm going to find a way, with or without Vax. I don't think she'll be taking this lightly, with how close she is to the Vanguard."

He walks to a railing, leaning up against it, the night lights of the City beginning to shut off, as the night dwindled on. "I owe it to Noct and Deia to bring them back. They died because of me. The least I can do is get them somewhere where they can live again, and be safe. It's my fault they died and I'm going to fix it."

Shelley began to speak, but Levi interrupted her. "Ah ah ah. I don't want to hear it. I promise you, I'm going to retire after all this is said and done. And if I need to face the music, I will. But for now, keep it a secret."

"Let's go home."

And with that, Levi jumped off the railing, freefalling into the city below, relishing the feel of the wind on his body, before Blinking just before he hit the ground, putting his hood up to shut the rain out as he walked back to his apartment.

Saladin awoke when Vax opened the door, groggily looking at his partner before lying back down with a content smile. “Had fun?” 

Vax rested against the door for a moment, glad the dark was hiding her face. “Hm,” she simply said, pushing herself off the door and starting to undress before crawling in bed. “He’s fun, Saladin, we-“ she sighed, shuffling closer to Saladin. “You know.”

Saladin wrapped his arms around Vax. “Yeah, I know,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. “It’s okay.”

It was 9 when Vax awoke, the sunlight filtered through her half-closed blinds shining in her eyes. She groaned and turned around, burying her face into Saladin’s chest. “Why don’t you properly close them,” she mumbled, her partner’s body shaking from his chuckle. “I like looking at you in the morning.” 

The Awoken looked up at his weathered face and then kissed him, hands ghosting over his body. 

It was 10 when she finally got up, stretching and smiling at her tired partner as she got dressed. “I’ll probably be away all day, don’t wait up if you’ll be home before me,” she leaned over him and kissed him once more before gathering Ghost and exiting the room, a small and content smile on her face. 

She stopped by a small cafe to get herself some orange juice and a croissant before continuing on towards the hangar, summoning Ghost so it could fly around before sitting down on a crate with her food. “And now we wait, hm?” she smiled at Ghost, starting to eat her croissant as it started going off about certain missions.

A loud whirrrrnoise started near the Warlock as a ship lift ascended, her newly favorite Exo leaning on the ship the lift carried. The ship he leaned on seemed more worse for wear than his last one; some panels were missing, a large scrape adorned the right side, and it seemed as though there were seventy different weapons attached to the hardpoints on the hull. "Ladies, Gentlemen, Ghosts, I give you the Quite Content Damsel, the only ship to survive the destruction of the old Tower. I've made a few... adjustments since then. You won't find anything faster, anything more deadly, anything more reliable than-"

The moment he said the word "reliable", a piece of fuselage fell off the hull, and Shelley floated over to quickly repair it.

"Well, she's spaceworthy, at least. And ready to rumble, as I am. New guns and all. I'm ready to kick some Vex ass. Assuming we can find a Vex with an ass." Levi smiled, stepping off the platform towards Vax. He was wearing a new, black and gold Braytech coat, as well an interesting rifle that was slung on his back. "I thought it was time to get some new gear for myself, at least. I even got Shelley some shell wax."

At the sudden noise of the lift, Vax jumped off the crate, scrambling up and looking behind her. "W-what," she breathed, gripping at her heart as she watched the ship ascend. "That," she started, looking at the smug Exo, a grin slowly appearing on her face. "Is impressive, yet impractical," she crossed her arms, smiling a bit at the ship. "You can hardly say it survived the destruction when it looks like that," she walked over to the ship, then looked at Levi, the Exo somehow looking even fancier than he usually did. 

“Hm, looking fancy,” she said softly, resting a hand on Levi’s chest and dusting it off a bit. She looked up to him and cocked her head, a small smile on her face. “I spoke with Saladin,” she started, clearing her throat as she let her hand slide down Levi’s arm and grip his hand softly. “He’s fine with- this,” she made a vague gesture with her free hand and then shrugged. 

She stepped back and assessed the ship. “It doesn’t exactly look safe, are you sure you’ll be fine?”

"I didn't need permission, he's not my dad." Levi stuck his tongue out for a brief moment. "I'm kidding, I'm glad he's alright with it. Although I half expected to be beat up when I walked out of my apartment this morning. But... I, uh... I missed you." He admitted, begrudgingly, as the ship powered on behind him. "And she's completely safe. There's even life support. And a mini fridge. But I promise, I'll be okay. You know how I like old things, sometimes."

"And broken things." Shelley admitted, earning a small glare from Levi as she floated around the ship, fixing small things here and there. 

"But are you sure you want to go with me? Mercury is hot, filled with Vex and cultists, not to mention the Red Legion... not exactly the ultimate second date." Levi fiddled with a tassel on his robes, trying to hide his apprehension. "You know I'm not used to this"

Vax laughed softly. “I don’t want to go behind his back. Especially because he also knows about Eris. He’s not as tough as he makes himself seem to be, he just wants to make sure the people he loves are safe,” she said softly, eyes cast downward in thought. She looked back up more cheerfully. “If you explode in the middle of the air it’d be a shame for your parts,” she joked a bit, feeling more comfortable around him now. 

She touched the hull of the ship, blinking when another part fell off. “Levi....” she looked at him, sighing. “First of all, this thing is dangerous. And second, I think Mercury is just fine,” she shrugged. “Been there enough times to have gotten used to the heat, and Vex may not be my favourite enemy, they ain’t the Hive,” she gently took hold of Levi’s hand, squeezing it. “I know you aren’t. I am not either,” she admitted, looking at him with what she hoped was kindness in her eyes. “But we can figure this out together, okay?” she looked around and then gently leaned in to peck him on the mouth, smiling a bit. 

“We’ll be fine. Now let’s go.” she transmatted away into her ship.

"Whatever you say, Princess." Levi transmatted into his ship, and it hovered off the deck, systems finally reaching peak capacity. He flexed his fingers, placing his hands gingerly onto the controls. 

He transmitted to Vax, voice rife with glee at the prospect of his new ride. "Hey, tell you what, I'll pay for dinner tonight if you can beat me to Mercury. You won't be able to, though." Once the deck was (mostly) clear, he kicked the engines on.

A poor Frame was behind the engines as he raced out of the hangar, and what was left of it scattered along the floor. Levi yelled with glee, as his afterburners kicked in, propelling him even faster through the atmosphere. He was a natural born pilot, and having Exo reflexes did nothing but help

Vax rolled her eyes, chuckling a bit. "I'm not gonna do a race, especially after you've crashed your previous ship," she pushed some buttons and autopilot was turned on, the Warlock leaning back and stretching. "I'm lucky the Fallen didn't pursue my ship, could've been bad if they did," she looked out the window at the greatly decreasing size of the landscape and the passing clouds. "You'relucky too," she smiled a bit, closing her eyes as her ship sped off into space and entered hyperspace. "I never go to Nessus,"

She fiddled a bit with her helmet in her hands, cleaning off the visor a bit. "So, what are we going to be doing on Mercury? Infinite Forest stuff?" she put her helmet on. "Maybe Osiris will allow us to look in the past to see what happened with your friends."

"Yes, I'm glad your ship came out in one piece. Must be nice." He joked, looking back at the curve of the Earth as they entered orbit. "I'm lucky in certain ways, and unlucky in others. I always seem to be a punching bag for beings that are bigger than me." He laughed, but then turned somber, opening a file directory on his private server. The hum of the engines became steady.

Levi, too, put on autopilot, leaning forward in his ship, interlacing his fingers. "I don't plan on asking. Osiris doesn't own it." He paused, taking a breath, pulling up multiple maps and schematics of places, while the stars flew by. The Infinite Forest, multiple nodes and confluxes on Nessus, the Vault of Glass. "What do you know of the Forest? Of what it can do?"

Vax hummed, requesting some files from Ghost. "I only know so much from the Vanguard and from what Osiris has told me," she got the files and Ghost projected them in front of her, the Warlock swiping through them as she bit her lips in thought. "And before you ask, I'm not their puppet. I just want to keep the world safe," she tapped on something and then gasped. "Ah! Here," she opened the files and read through them.

"As you know, the entrance is on the Fields of Glass on Mercury. It's a virtual simulation of the universe overseen by the Vex, replaced the planet's core," she was silent for a few moments as she read through the text. "There's actually... not that much information. Osiris mustn't have shared much. All I do know from what I've seen is that there are many, many, different versions of reality, be that past, present, or future," she sighed. "Not much to go off, but Osiris has different versions of him looking in many of those realities, we could always ask him or Sagira, it won't hurt," she shut off the files.

"I have a plan on how to find my friends by using the simulation powers of the Forest. I've done some preliminary testing so far, and it seems promising. And part of the plan relies on you, my dear." He collapsed the data files, cracking his fingers one by one, trying to stretch in the small cockpit. "You know the forcefield generators the Red Legion used to keep Guardians out of the City during the battle with Ghaul? They were strong enough to block a Nova Bomb. What do you want to be that it can hold a couple of Vex at bay?"

He looked at Shelley, who had her concerned face on. I'm not going there, Shelley, shut up.He thought, shaking his head.

"I need your expertise to recreate something big. Something that'll let me see where Noct and Deia disappeared. This plan is going to be dangerous, but it's the only way I can find them."

"I need you to help me simulate the Vault of Glass, and help me trap Aethon long enough so we can look into a time gate. Only look, I know the rules of the time-space continuum. But it can tell us where they are."

Vax stayed silent after Levi told her his plan, lips pursed in thought. "You... want to look into space and time," she mumbled, a frown appearing on her face. "It's dangerous, but not impossible," she sighed, rubbing a hand over her helmet before she nodded. "Okay, I'll help you, but I don't like it," she murmured over the comms, pulling up some files on space-time continuum and varous appliances of it. She read through them until they arrived at Mercury, where she promptly let them disappear.

She transmatted on the planet, checking her hand cannon and wiping some dust off of it. "How did you come up with this plan? Sounds pretty planned out for somebody who's just yesterday felt motivated again to do this," her tone of voice gave away her slight smile beneath her helmet, the wind blowing around them as the sun burnt upon the planet.

"You've got me there. I've had this plan for a while. I've used every conventional means of scanning and searching, but for the Light of me I can't find them. It's important to me, to either find them, or have some closure on what happened to them." In the cockpit, Levi's left hand twitched again, his fingers tapping one by one on his thumb. He looked at the curious motor movement, and then folded his hands before transmatting beside Vax, Shelley at his shoulder. 

"You probably have more experience with Atheon than any other guardian. And while this won't be the real Atheon, they're going to have every power that the original did. We simply have to trap him, and use a time gate while he's occupied. 87% success rate, as long as we can get our hands on one of the Red Legion's field generators." He boop'ed her helmet once, trying to meet where her eyes would be, with his. "You're one of the most powerful Warlocks I've met. Ikora Rey herself doesn't approach your majesty."

He readied his rifle, checking the components, and Vax could probably see a small inscription under the scope that read GRAVITON_LANCE_628on it. Void Light coursed through it like a heartbeat. 

"Lock and load, Princess. I'm reading a Red Legion signature bearing 3 'o' clock, 19 klicks away."

Vax looked the Warlock over in the scolding heat of Mercury, her eyes squeezed shut a bit despite her UV-blocking visor. “Lots of praise,” she simply said, pursing her lips. “Nonetheless, if Atheon is going to be exactly the same we’re going to have a problem. Raiding has always been six Guardians, we’re just two,” she crouched down and started sketching the layout of the chamber. “You see, Atheon spawns here,” she pointed at the large triangle in the middle. “We’ll be entering the chamber right opposite of his spawning area, but first we’ll have to destroy the gatekeeper,” she sketched the setup and then wiped it away. “Once we’ve done that, Atheon will spawn and start shooting at us, until he opens a time portal,” she hesitated, frowning and then sighing. 

“This is where it gets tricky,” she quickly sketched the other two chambers. “He’ll teleport three Guardians into either areas, Mars or Venus, and the three Guardians who are left behind will have to keep the portal open so the three Guardians can come back with the Relic and ensure the safety of the team while we shoot at Atheon,” she breathed out softly, thinking for a second. “We’re only with two, we’ll die if we both get teleported, so we’ll have to knock him down before that happens,” she bit her lips. “And without self-rez...”

She got back up, wiping the sketches clean with her foot and looking at Levi. “We have to do this, but it won’t be easy. We’ll have to use perhaps all of our Light on the off-chance that we can use the portal he opens to our advantage and look into the past, so much is based on pure luck,” she held a hand on her helmet reflexively, as if holding her chin in thought. 

“So... what we want to do is to stun Atheon as soon as he opens the space-time portal, one of us will have to keep him locked in place while the other searches the realities Atheon created and looks for Doct and Neia,” she felt a shiver run up her spine, the air suddenly feeling cold. “At least it isn’t Crota,”

She huffed. “There’s really no other way of doing this, is there?” she looked at the Warlock next to her. “We can ask Osiris for help, that would already help us by a lot, he can keep an eye on the other realities to make sure we won’t be interrupted,” she pointed out, somehow finding it hard to feel the hotness of Mercury at the time. “We have only a split second to stun Atheon, it’s going to be precise and we’ll probably only have one chance.”

"I like the way you're thinking, but you're assuming that time can be strictly linear inside the forest." Levi waved with his hand and conjured a simple line of code, written in the Vex language, many cubes and triangles depicting important segments. "This is an error subroutine for Vex systems. We found it in the Ishtar Sink on Venus; we think a group of researchers was using this to gain access to Vault, way back in the Golden Age, right before the collapse. Shelley and Deia hypothesized that it will be enough to disrupt a coding portion of the simulant time in the Infinite Forest- in Hunter terms, it's a pause button for the simulation." Levi waved, and the glowing writing disappeared.

"What you're proposing is a good fallback plan, but it is incredibly dangerous, even if we had Osiris' help. If we simulate the main room of the Vault, pause it for a moment, and trap Atheon, he'll be powerless, and the only Vex left will be ones we can handle. No teleportation, no mess, no danger. When the rules don't favor you, change the rules." Shelley projected a small list of tests, each one with a pass rate of at least over 70%. Levi gestured at the list. "I've had a month or so to do this, all my recon missions get boring. Trust me."

“Well of course I’m ‘assuming’ time can be strictly linear. It’s the only way we can experience it, and that’s a one-way street forward. The Forest is simply something that we can not comprehend, let alone-“ she halted when she saw the code, frowning as she walked around it and looked it over. “... you hypothesised, AKA you aren’t sure if it will work,” she frowned at Levi. “That may be even more dangerous than my plan. If it doesn’t work and you get up close to Atheon... you’re dead,” she took a deep breath, biting her lips. 

“I would like to trust you, and I will, but I have my doubts,” she simply said, shaking her head. She looked at the area they were overseeing, the hot air wavering in the sky. “Right. We’ll go with your plan and fall back on mine if needed, but ... I don’t like it. How do we activate this thing?” she crossed her arms and cocked her head.

"A hypothesis with a ton of data behind it."

"Let's slow down there. We need that Red Legion forcefield generator, before we even attempt to get going on this. And there so happens to be-" A BANG!erupted not too far away from them, and a Red Legion ship dropped out of FTL, taking heavy fire from Vex emplacements along Mercury's surface. 

Levi raised an eyebrow underneath his helmet, snorting to himself. "Wow, I almost never have that much luck. That ship is big enough to have a field generator of its own. And the good news is, it's portable enough to have Shelley levitate it next to us while inside the simulation. Now come on, I've got an itchy trigger finger, and Cabal have really exposed weak points. You think you can tag more than I can, Ms. Career Guardian?"

He conjured his Sparrow as he said the last sentence, the purple-and-gold racing speeder purring with a machinated, steady fire. Levi was obviously itching to get going; definitely more confident since he had someone he trusted at his side.

Vax looked up at the sudden loud noise, watching the ship come in and descend to the surface as it employed its troops to fight the Vex. “Right,” she frowned, grabbing her hand cannon and jumping off the platform. She spawned her sparrow and hopped on, following after Levi. 

She didn’t like his plan. There was something going on that he wasn’t telling her, the plan was too well-thought out, even if he had months to work it out, something didn’t feel right, and every fiber of her being was screaming that to her. 

Once she arrived at the sand dunes, she jumped up high into the air, gathering all Void Light into her fist and then throwing it out to the Cabal, the nothingness exploding and crackling as it slowly drained the Cabal’s lives. Before the grenade disappeared, the Warlock already grabbed her rocket launcher and released a rocket at the remaining Cabal before finally touching down on the ground with a small huff. “All right,” she started, looking up at the hovering Red Legion ship. “How do you want to get on?” she focused her gaze back to her Warlock companion, glad her helmet was hiding her worrisome frown. 

Ghost bumped inside her helmet, and she frowned. “What?” she whispered, looking off towards the sand dunes into the distance. She then noticed the red dots rapidly approaching, and she gasped. “Shit- Levi!” she ran towards the Exo, wanted to warn him, but then she lost her footing and got thrown into the air as a large grenade stuck at her feet and exploded, the Warlock’s robes starting to burn from it. Unable to control her tumbling movement in the air she pressed her eyes close and just waited for the landing.

Her breath escaped her lungs when she landed onto the hard sand, leaving a large impact crater as sand exploded upwards into the sky and impaired her vision. She had trouble breathing, the Warlock groaning as she started crawling out of the crater without any ease, looking off into the distance where the grenade had come from.

A large wall of red seemed to appear, and Vax cursed, her back aching and protesting as she tried to stand. “R-Red Legion,” she gasped over the comms, falling back to her knees. “A whole lot of it.”

Over the radio, on the other side of the forcefield, a yelling could be heard; several shots erupted against the Cabal as Levi glided towards, emptying the magazine of the Lance. The ship had launched several landing pods, and were filling the area with low-level soldiers; but quantity made up for quality in this case, and the Voidlock had to put a Rift down in order to keep the fire from affecting him. The barrier between them seemed to keep most of the forces in Levi's direction; a few straggling Psions remained by Vax, hoping to scavenge something from the wounded Guardian. A voice echoed across form Vax, a certain Exo's body glowing with Void:

"That was my girlfriend, you assholes! GET AWAY FROM HER!"

He launched a massive Nova Bomb, the vortex sucking in sand around it as it impacted against the ship's hull, sucking in multiple doomed Cabal as well, sentencing them to an unpleasant death. 

Levi ran to the shield, putting his hands against it, trying to look for a weak point. "Are you okay? Talk to me here!"

Vax looked up towards the direction of Levi, breath nothing more but a wheeze as she crawled over to the shield. "Shit- shit-" she breathed on a whisper, then staring with wide eyes as she watched the other Warlock seeming to glow with pure Void Light. She put her hands on the shield as she watched the Exo summon the largest ball of pure nothingness she had ever seen, the Void travelling the distance towards the Cabal and exploding with a shockwave large enough for Vax to fall back on her back into the impact crater, the Warlock's breath once more escaping her lungs.

Girlfriend. 

Vax was trembling as she crawled back up, whole body protesting as she asserted the situation at hand. A dozen of Psions came running over to her, followed by a few Legionaries for backup. But most of them had been in the blast zone of Levi's bomb. The Warlock was wheezing as she finally crawled up to a stand, breathing in heavily as she grabbed her weapon, the comms crackling on and Levi's voice coming through. She huffed, closing her eyes for a second. "I'm - fine," she assured the Exo, her free hand gripping at her abdomen.

She looked up at the Cabal ship, the hull being eaten away by Levi's Nova Bomb as some Cabal tried to evacuate the ship, instead being eaten by the nothingness. Somehow though, the shield didn't falter. "Fuck," she grumbled, breaths short and shallow. She looked around the perimeter. The shield was spherical of form, the Cabal still on the ground not having faltered at approaching the wounded Guardian despite their ship's seemingly demise. 

Vax then gasped. "Oh-" she swiveled around to Levi, trembling as she clambered up to the shield and crouched down at where Levi stood. "The ship is still powering this thing," she was panting, some drops of blood rolling down her forehead. "They must have- multiple generators," she raised a hand to touch, or closest thing to, Levi's, closing her eyes for a second. "Go in there, destroy the generators. I'll fight these guys off," her voice was shaking, her head spinning and her vision blurry. But she needed to stay and fight.

Levi pushed his hand harder into the shield, small sparks of electricity arcing off of it. It didn't budge, however. He sighed, reloading his pulse rifle. "I promise, I'm going to hurry as fast as I can. I'll hopefully be back before you lose any of your arms or legs." The Exo said the last bit with a lighthearted tone, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll tear the ship apart piece by piece, if I have to. Put your Rift down and hold tight. I'll be back before you know it." He left his hand to linger a moment longer, then slung his rifle, materializing a Retrofuturist to better suit close-quarters, and after, running into the ship, Shelley floating behind him to be a flashlight.

They walked through a dark hallway, fires coating the hall and an occasional clang!as ceiling panels fell to the floor. Shelley spoke up, breaking the radio silence on their private channel: You know, you're just making it harder and harder for yourself. It's not going to be easy to-

I know, Shelley. He interjected. But now that we know the projector can repel firepower of that magnitude, my plan is going to work. I'm going to fix this.

Shelley rolled her eye.

I promise!

The two came to a glowing generator, surrounded by two fusion cells. Levi glided over to the first platform, wrenching the first core from its casing. "Vax, babe, any change?" He radioed in...

Vax watched Levi try to break the shield, a frown on her battered face. "I don't - think that's going to work," she whispered, clenching her hands into fists. She glanced back briefly, the sand still hadn't settled and the Cabal were looking for her. She huffed and looked back at Levi, pursing her lips. "Just remember that we needed that goddamned ship!" she called after Levi, then gasping, raising her voice did not feel good.

She watched Levi run off, feeling her hand trembling again. She never liked splitting up. She swallowed and then turned back around, gathering herself and slowly raising herself to a stand, her back immediately giving her a pang of pain, but she went through. "Ghost, heal me," she mumbled, checking the chamber of her hand cannon as she stood herself up straighter, preparing for the onslaught of enemies. Ghost beeped alive in her head, its voice worried, but nonetheless its usual self. "I can not. If the shield can withstand a Nova Bomb of that magnitude it's safe to assume it suppresses any Light inside it." it explained. 

The Warlock grumbled, clenching her jaw. "So... no Light in here," she gripped her hand cannon tighter, swallowing. "Great,"

When Levi called in there was a crackle on the comms before gunfire and shouting from the Cabal leaked through, then Vax' voice came through loud and clear. "The shield's - it's fading, but still here," she gasped, the recoil of her hand cannon seeming to stab her in the abdomen every time she fired a shot. "But it- it seems weak," she fell to the ground, a few Psions coming for her. "I'm falling here," she then wheezed, the air filter in her helmet failing. "You may find me under some corpses." and then the comms cut out.

"I'm trying to hurry, I'll be there as soon as I can." Levi glided over to the next platform, feet lightly touching on the ground.

I shouldn't have dragged her into this. Not only will I be a criminal, but I'll be-

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Focus. Mission.Levi pried the remaining fusion cell from its engine, dropping the sphere onto the ground. The generator shut down, unable to sustain such a large field without outside power. "Vax, I'm on my way, hold tight. It might be a while, the exit is getting tied up." Almost on cue, Cabal filled the hallway, screaming in their guttural language as they pushed forward. 

"Although, I have an idea..." Levi looked down at the fusion cores, remembering something Shelley had said about them a while ago. 

Outside, the entire ship exploded. Pieces landed in the sand, smoldering, burning the sand. Levi flew up from the explosion, knocked into the air, but completely protected from the small forcefield generator he carried in his arms.

Vax awoke from unconsciousness at the explosion, gasping and wheezing for air, the pressure on her body unbearable. She clenched her jaw, trembling hands as she gripped at the Legionary on top of her, trying to push it off. And then she felt the Light fade back into her, healing her injuries, and returning her strength.

The Warlock pushed off the Cabal with ease this time and then crawled away underneath it, coughing as she sat upand pulled off her helmet, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. "I thought I'd die," she whispered, closing her eyes for just a moment before standing up, cracked helmet in hand. "Explosion-" she then recounted, reflexively looking up into the air where the ship had been. Nothing. "Levi!" she ran into the dust clouds of the fallen pieces, heart thumping in her chest. She hadn't seen him come out.

"Levi-!" the Warlock halted when she saw the Exo encased in the small forcefield, and she breathed out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank the Traveler, you're okay!" she walked closer to the Exo, a look of relief glistening in her eyes. "Thank you." she wrapped Levi into a big hug.

Levi hugged her back, holding his head to hers, touching their helmets together. "It was the fastest way to get to you. I'm sorry I put you through that. It's not fair to ask you to take on the entirety of Mercury with me. I- I'm just glad you're not hurt." He looked down at the device at his feet, and Shelley transmatted it for him. "And as you can see, we got what we came for. I know it wasn't easy. But I'm so close to getting them back, I can feel it with every fiber of my being. I can feel the heat and the dryness of this place, the touch of your robes. All thanks to you."

Levi grabbed her hands, looking away. "Let's- let's take the night off. We just took care of a whole cruiser of Cabal, I think the Vanguard'll take that as a productive day. Why don't you show me someplace cool and wet. I want to go swimming."

He chuckled. "If I even CAN swim. Questions for later."

Vax stayed in Levi's arms for a while, looking off into the distance as she clutched onto him, deep in thought. She didn't want to let go, she honestly thought she'd die in that Light suppressive shield, unable to heal herself, unable to be resurrected. It was almost like the Red War. "Don't apologise," she started, distracting herself from her thoughts as she pulled back and looked Levi in the face, shaking her head. "You didn't ask me to join you, I offered this. And I will fight through this with you, because I made a promise and I intend on keeping it," she hugged him again, eyes pressed close this time, relishing in touching him, and being withhim. 

She looked at the Exo when he took her hands, feeling as if he was holding her in place, that if he didn't she'd float off somewhere in a dream. "The night off..." she hummed, closing her eyes and smiling a bit. "We could. Could be fun," she opened her eyes and showed Levi a genuine smile, one filled with fondness and care. "We'll figure out if you can, though I've learned it's been something all Guardians can do by default, you shouldn't be an exception," she detached herself from Levi and called in her ship, taking a deep breath. 

"Just now," she started, looking down at her helmet in her hands. "You called me your girlfriend, and- and babe," she felt a blush coming to her cheeks. They may have kissed, for some reason she couldn't comprehend the Exo actually feeling that way about her. "Did you mean that?"

I wish I didn't. It would be easier that way.

"Yes, I- I do. I know it a little sudden and all, but I don't know, it makes me feel at ease. I can stop if you want me to, but in four hundred years of being a soldier, it's nice to have someone you can fall back on. Someone you can be with." He fiddled with a clasp on his cloak. "I can see us going for a long time. You're a pretty amazing person. I don't want to be separated any time soon." His fingers twitched back and forth again.

He took off his helmet as well, looking up at the sky. "No matter what happens, I've appreciated that you broke out of your shell enough to take upon this... experiment with me. Not to imply that I'm treating our relationship like an experiemnt but I...." He trailed off. "You know what I'm trying to say. It's your choice."

Levi smiled, pausing for a moment. "And are you sure I won't, you know, electrocute everyone else who may be in the water? And I haven't been swimming in a while , so I would prefer somewhere private so I don't embarrass myself."

Vax was quiet for a moment, wiping some sand off her helmet thoughtfully. Yes, it was sudden, and although in the heat of the battle she hadn’t replied on it, she ... liked it. It felt good. The Warlock smiled softly looking at Levi. “Me too,” she gently took hold of Levi’s twitching hand. “It’s okay, don’t worry. I like you enough to try,” she joked kindly, moving closer to Levi, just because she could. His presence was infinitely comforting and welcome to the Awoken. 

“I don’t know much about Exo’s, but I do know you guys are water resistant, so don’t worry too much,” she wanted to kiss him, but something stopped her, so she simply leaned against him a bit. “The EDZ has a lot of secluded little mountain pools. I’m afraid I don’t really have a bathing suit however,” she felt a blush creep up her cheeks, and she was all too glad when her ship arrived.

"I- I see what you mean." He looked away, glad he couldn't blush. "But it should be the end of spring in the EDZ right now. It sounds amazing, I can't wait to feel the water on my skin. What is it like to be underwater? IS it ever scary? Does it-" He stopped. "You know what, rambling, I'm going to find out soon anyways." He smiled, his ship arriving as well, throwing up a bit of sand. 

"I may have packed a dinner, as well. All ingredients I either grew myself, or bought from a fresh market. Shelley's got all the items in storage for me. And hey." Levi looked at her. "I promise you. I'm going to do everything in my power to keep you from harm, from now on. No more Cabal surprise attacks. If I have to choose between my plan and you, I'm going to choose you every time." His weapons transmatted. "So I'll follow you to the end. But for now, why don't you lead the way to our water. I hate this sand."

He smiled at the Awoken woman, dissolving to Light as he teleported to the ship.

Vax watched Levi ramble, and she couldn’t help but grin, the Exo always so adorable. And yet... a cold shiver ran up the Awoken’s spine. She saw Levi’s mouth move, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Her mind was screaming again, screaming that something was wrong. The Mercury air felt cold despite the planet’s proximity to the sun, and Vax wrapped her arms around herself reflexively, shivering. 

And then sound was back to normal and the sun was burning down on the two Guardians again as if nothing ever happened. She quickly composed herself, still a bit taken aback. “Ah- uh, Cabal aren’t a problem. If I hadn’t been wounded I could’ve taken them,” she gently smiled at Levi. His words were nice, exactly something she secretly would love to hear. Was it too perfect? Stop it. Vax huffed at herself, she didn’t need these thoughts. 

“All right, I’ll send Shelley the flight route, I’ll see you there.” she watched Levi dissolve, and she quickly looked behind herself, at the carnage. All she cared about in that fight was staying alive for her partners, and for Levi to return to her, he was... he was caring at that time. It felt as if she was witnessing something special. That glow. 

The Warlock frowned and shook her head before teleporting herself on her ship, taking a seat in the pilot seat. She sent the coordinates to Shelley and then put her ship on autopilot, resting her feet on the dashboard as she thought.

They warped to Earth, bright lights filling the space around them as the two ships traveled near the speed of light. Levi typed some calculations into his console, lights flashing on the screen as chains of code locked together. He couldn't pay less attention to the code, however; he was deep in thought, just like his counterpart in the adjacent ship. 

She's too good for me. I really don't deserve someone like her.

Shelley popped up beside him, and rested on his shoulder, speaking up. "You owe it to yourself to let them go. You're making something good with Vax. Something that's making your psyche healthy. Is it worth it to give all that up, to fix a mistake? I know it's important to you, but..."

Levi reached up, while still looking at his display, gently patting Shelley on the metaphorical head. "I know. This is more... painful that you might think. And none of my words have been insincere. I just...". He closed his eyes, leaning back against the headrest of the chair. "I have a lot to think about. And you're right. I am considering... canceling the plan. But I made a promise that isn't easy to break. So let me worry about logistics, and you worry about what you need to. Until then, I'm going to make sure that she's happy. That's my job."

Shelley sighed. "I'm always here for you." she said quietly. "But you need to figure out your priorities, before you go about breaking natural law. Besides, this little swimming expedition should be fun, eh?" the Ghost nudged her Guardian, teasing him.

Levi smirked as the two ships dropped out of NLS, right above Europe.

When they entered the sky above Europe Vax couldn’t help but smile. This had been her favourite spot since a long while, the lush green forestry perfect for hiding and doing your own thing where nobody would bother you. She remembers Saladin, and she hummed contently. “Levi,” she opened on the comms, watching the landscape outside as the ship went to touch down between the forest. “We’re here,” she got up and transmatted away onto the ground. 

It was a warm spring day, a soft wind blowing through the leaves above the natural lake. The Warlock walked up to it, crouching down and pulling her gloves off before touching the water. Not cold, not warm. She smiled a bit, the prospect of relaxing in here was nice enough for her to pull off her helmet and set it aside, the sun shining down through the green leaves. It was almost magical. 

She closed her eyes for a moment, relaxed in the area surrounded by trees, completely alone and hidden from the world. She loved it.

Levi transmatted in right beside Vax, making sure to keep his ship at the maximum possible distance as to not disturb the scene. He stood for a moment, relishing in the cool air and humid breeze at the shore of the lake. The medium-sized pool was surrounded by thick juniper trees, obscuring the steep shores of small pebbles that ran down into the lake. A few birds could be seen at the opposite end, taking baths in the water, chirping absentmindedly, making ripples that magnified across the pond. A few small waterfalls fed into the lake, from streams that snaked their way in between rocks and roots of the forest. The pond wasn't amazingly big- but big enough that a Guardian's ship could easily land in the circumference, and big enough where the exact middle was very deep, forming a natural depression.

It was perfect. 

The wind picked up again, the temperate breeze picking at the two Warlock's cloaks. "I've never taken a moment to be at a place like this." Levi spoke quietly, more slowly than he usually did. "You don't take the time to stop when you're doing things at a million kilometers a minute, like me. Thank you for showing me this place."

Vax looked up at the Exo next to her when he transmatted, the Warlock seemingly so surprised and amazed by the area they were in. It was captivating to watch him. The Awoken smiled at him, standing up and dusting her robes off before taking his hand for just a moment, catching his attention. "I do it all the time," she hummed gently, hesitating for a second before moving her hand back and starting to pull off her gloves. "I think every Guardian needs some time for themselves every now and again, explore the worlds we're always fighting in," she puts her gloves down and sits back down, undoing her boots and pulling them off. "I can recommend it, I have many more of these spots to show you," she stands back up and unbuttons her robes, her black bodysuit beneath it really showing off how muscular she was.

She stood there for a moment, not looking at Levi as she just looked over the lake. No bathing suit, she needed her undergarments to stay dry. No other option. She breathed out a sigh, a blush creeping up on her cheeks, but she kept on going, unzipping her body suit and stepping out of it. "If you're gonna stare I'll kill you," she didn't look at the Exo, her hands going behind her back as she undid her bra and then took off her pants. 

So there she stood, in the nude, and it was cold. She walked over to the water and stepped in, letting out a hot breath. "Water's warmer than outside, come join me." her voice was soft as she walked further into the water, the liquid rippling around her frame. She walked until she couldn't stand anymore, and she just floated there, back turned to Levi. She was blushing more than before, and she didn't want him to see.

Levi was definitely staring. And stammering. "I, uh, you, erm, yeah, swim, swimmy swim, I'll come swim now. Fish be me. Yeah." He took off his robes as well, revealing a surprisingly slender body. Not skinny like someone had designed his body to be a toothpick: more like pronounced shoulders and long arms and legs, more like a swimmer's body type, but still fit enough to be strong, when needed. Levi stumbled out the clothes, trying to take everything off at once, obviously a little bit intimidated. He finally pulled his undersuit off as well, stripping his boxers (but forgetting about his socks), and walking into the lake, treading over to Vax. 

As he entered the water, he grabbed some in his hands, letting the liquid drip from his hands. "This is so much... different than just showering or something. And I've been knocked into water before, but that was always in battle and I never had time to stop." The Exo then jumped in the rest of the way, the faint Light coming from his eyes and mouth illuminating the water around his head. He surfaced right next to his companion.

"It- it feels like I'm in space, but it's strangely heavy. And the water, it just completely surrounds you, doesn't it? This is amazing, a-and I already know how to tread water, maybe I knew how to swim before I was converted? And the way it-" Levi stopped himself, meeting Vax's eyes, but then looking away, smiling. "That is amazing. You're amazing. I've never seen someone like, uh, this before." If robots could blush.

Vax felt Levi's eyes on her anyway, her cheeks feeling as if they were burning up. Being naked in front of your partner, in an intimate way, was completely different from just undressing to swim. Even if it was with somebody resemblinga partner, they hadn't really talked about it. The Warlock took a deep breath, a small smile on her face despite the situation. Levi's stammering was adorable, and she couldn't help but feel completely smitten with him.

When he came up next to her she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close, a small and content smile on her face. She was still shy, still anxious, but she just wanted to touch him, have him close to her, and just kiss all day long. She was paddling with her feet, listening to the Exo speak. "Fascinating," she whispered. She'd almost wished it was night, that he couldn't see her coloured face. "... You're quite amazing yourself," she murmured, embarrassed. 

She leaned in and kissed him, at a loss for words. She wanted to spend her life with this Exo. It was an early thought to have, probably too early, but he was endlessly fascinating to her, knowing always what to say and do. She couldn't imagine her days without him though, those thoughtful eyes and confident yet annoying body language, sometimes too cocky and smug, maybe a tad bit condescending. But mostly just him, this Exo that captivated this reserved and quiet Warlock within a day.

He kissed her back, enjoying their embrace. "Gods, what did I do to end up with someone like you? The most beautiful girl on the Tower." He pulled her closer, as their toes almost brushed the sand at the bottom of the lake. It was a perfect moment. The sun was just beginning to set, and shadows of trees were sprawled out across the lake. Levi couldn't think of anything else but her- this woman he had the pleasure of spending time with. For once, he was completely at peace. They had a dinner waiting for them- all he had to do was make a campfire. They had all the time in the world, as their transmitters were turned off, and no one would find them in this secluded forest. 

"And you can stop the blushing, I promise I'm not going to tease, Princess." He smiled back, having those early thoughts too. What if he could just settle down. If they just ran away? Build a cabin in the woods, here right next to the lake. Grow their own food, and other things that accompany that lifestyle. 

Is it too late for that?

Levi chose to inquire. "Hey, say we could just run away. Build a house somewhere far away from all the fighting. Would you?"

“Can’t really stop it, hm?” she nuzzled against the Exo’s face, the water rippling around them in the quiet of the forest. The night falling down on them was really appreciated by a certain Awoken, the dark sky making it so much more magical. 

At the question, she blinked, pulling back a bit to look the Exo in the eyes with a frown. “Levi, I-“ she looked away, at a loss for words. She couldn’t. She couldn’t just leave the Tower, Saladin, Eris, she was needed there. “Levi, I can not - I wouldn’t,” she whispered, pressing her eyes closed, hurt at the thought of having to leave everybody behind. “I- have a responsibility, and I feel like I have it, too. I like the Guardian life,” the Warlock then admitted, opening her eyes and looking down. “I have my friends, Saladin and Eris, I- can’t leave them,” she let herself fall a bit in the water, burying herself to her chin as she just rested her head against Levi’s chest. “I wouldn’t.”

She wrapped her arms around Levi’s waist, suddenly uncertain. Would he be upset at her over this? The way he had talked earlier it didn’t look like he was interested in such a thing, and yet... she closed her eyes, just resting against Levi’s frame. She hadn’t thought about leaving the Tower before, it had been such a given that she was meant to stay there as a Guardian, the thought of leaving it made her feel empty. Broken. She gripped her hands tighter around Levi’s frame, as if to assure him it wasn’t because of him.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not mad, it was worth a shot. I just wish that was something either of us could do." He lowered his hands to her waist, pulling her close. The Warlock tried to hide his disappointment, holding her a bit tighter, managing to rest his feet on the sand as they floated backwards. "I wonder what people did before the Collapse, before the Traveler got grounded. Do you think we met? A soldier meeting a scientist? A cook meeting a scholar? I wonder what we were before all this. I wonder if we were meant to meet there, on Nessus. Fate is a curious, fickle thing." 

Guardians make their own fate.

The words echoed in his head, like a gong reverberating in an orchestra hall. He had almost forgotten Deia's last words to him. Like a clue. And suddenly, he was back on Venus. 

A vast Vex Maze was laid out before him. Pieces of the maze rearranged themselves, left and right, up and down. Multiple dead Vex were laid out on the ground at the exit of the maze, where three Guardians took cover from the blasts of an enormous Gate Lord, the gate behind it leading to a vast wealth of loot. A white and red Titan layed down suppressing fire, a purple Hunter looked for a weak spot. And a blue-robed Warlock sat behind them, trying to finish a set of calculations.

Then, disaster struck. The three felt the Light drain from them. As the Red War on Earth began, their cover was taken away, disappearing into Vex Data as the three stared down the Gate Lord, with no iota of power to their name. 

Noct was the first to go, being vaporized as a shot from the Lord hit him in the back as he tried to protect his family. 

Deia was second, being taken out by a rogue Hobgoblin shot that hit her in the chest, as she had stepped to Levi's back to protect him. As she fell to her knees, she mouthed the words.

Shelley managed to transmat herself and Noct away with the last of her light.

The memory ended, and Levi caught his breath, inadvertently clutching Vax too tight to his chest.

I make my own fate.

Vax' frown did not disappear, but she gladly nuzzled closer to Levi, the water almost quiet around their bare movement. "Ghost told me I used to play the violin," she said softly, biting her lips. Her thoughts were still at Levi's question, she did not understand why he'd ask that. The City and Tower needed them, the bothof them. She moved a hand to Levi's neck, looking up a bit to watch the lines follow their paths, her fingers tracing them. "We don't know much about the Golden Age, not a lot of records survived unfortunately," she turned to look at the night sky, the stars so clear without any light pollution. "Perhaps we wouldn't have met," she wondered softly, frown finally fading away. "It was a chance meeting after all. You're lucky I-" she blinked when Levi stiffened, looking back at him. 

"Levi?" her hands moved to rest on Levi's jaw, the Awoken looking into his eyes, as if looking for a clue on what was going on. But before anything else happened, he seemed to come back to the present, body relaxing ever so slightly as he clutched her closer against his frame, her nude body pressed against his. She frowned once again. "Should we go back to shore? Did you have a short-circuit?" 

She sounded worried, leaned close into Levi's embrace as if to inspect him and make sure he was fine. The Warlock had been acting strange since they'd come back from Mercury- no, ever since yesterday, on Earth. After their date. "Levi, is something the matter?" her glowing white eyes looked into Levi's purple ones, seeking out the truth. "You've been acting strange, I- I hope it isn't because of me?"

Levi gently shook his head. "No, I'm okay, I just daydreamt a little bit. I think that explosion rocked me harder than I thought. It's nothing, Vax. I just need you beside me, and I'll be fine. I've just been preoccupied with my little plan, and to be honest, if it puts either of us in danger, I'm thinking less and less like it's a good plan. But I don't want to waste tonight, this is a night off for us." His heartbeat slowed. He treaded away from Vax a little, splashing her playfully. "Come on, you have to tell me something. I've been wondering for a while." 

Levi swam a bit shallower, splashing Vax with the cool water. "How do people... I mean, this is a really dumb question to ask, but how do people show affection... by touching...?" He looked away, a bit embarrassed. "I think I've done an adequate job so far, but I don't have too many frames of reference. Am I doing okay? Is there more I can do?

"I don't want to move too fast or anything, but since I was a Guardian, you were legitimately my first kiss, so...."

Vax nodded, biting her lips still. Daydreaming doesn't stiffen people up, and now of course she doesn't know Exo's physiques too well, but... she sighed and smiled at Levi, letting her thoughts go for once. "A night off? Oh?" she teased, her body cold now that Levi had left it. "A night off together?" she swam towards the Exo, ever so attracted to him, laughing a bit at the splashing water. "How do... we, show it?" she hummed softly, splashing some water over to Levi as she thought. "Hm. I'm definitely one who likes to show it with touches, but only in private times like these," she wrapped herself around him for just a moment, smiling at him before pulling back and drifting on her back for a moment. "In public or in the Tower I like to be a bit more subtle about it, but of course this is- something personal. Everybody does it differently,"

She closed her eyes, suddenly aware of the insects she was hearing, albeit a bit muffled by the water. She chuckled a bit lightheartedly. "I was your first kiss? In 400 years?" she swam back upright, looking at the Exo and then moving next to him, standing on the sand at the bottom of the lake. "I would've thought this would be too fast with anybody else but- but you're, different," she whispered, moving up more to the shallow area and sitting down, her bottom half of her body in the water. "Something about you is infinitely attractive to me, I... this is perfect," she simply shrugged, wrapping her arms around her knees as the chill of the wind blew over her back.

She wasn't lying. Ever since she first saw Levi and had heard him speak she had been attracted, thinking the Exo as interesting and fascinating. When he transmatted them into the air it was terrifying, yet in a weird way exhilarating, it was a move she'd never have done herself. He brought out a certain side of her she hadn't seen in a long time, this confident and content side of her. Saladin must've seen this too yesterday when she came back, he understood. 

The Warlock huffed with a small smile and laughed at Levi. "Nervous, then? Since I'm your first everything in this field, I assume."

Levi waded over and sat next to her, shivering a little, but smirking. "I mean, I'm more of a 'act first, ask questions later' kind of Exo, but yeah." His smirk faded, and his expression softened, as his eyes traced the ripples the two were making in the water. "This is all very new to me. And you make me nervous, but in the good way. In the 'she makes me feel like I can fly' way. So even when I do little things, like holding your hand-" --he took her hand in this, slight warmth radiating from his body- "I don't know if it's the right thing to do. I like it, and I'm sure hugs and cuddles make us both feel better, but I'm just working on making both of us comfortable. An uppity, cocky soldier and a quiet, smart woman. We make a pair, huh?" 

He looked over at Vax again, heartbeat raising. Levi wondered if she could tell- that he was trying to be sincere. That he was searching for reasons not to stay alone, but to be with her and to forget about mistakes in the past. The Exo was filled with regret, but this new hope was seeping into him more and more. He wanted to be selfish. He wanted to have Vax all to himself. To settle down, spend their lives together, maybe even find a way to become human again so they could raise a family. But all that lied down a road that wasn't going to be traveled; Vax was right, they had their duty to attend to. So this love was all Levi could have, now. This wonderful, quiet night, just the two of them. No Vanguard. No Cabal. No crashing ships or deception. Just two new lovers, making up for time they might not have to lose.

Levi gripped her hand tighter, to comfort himself. He smiled, trying to be happy, because she was.

Vax smiled a bit at the Exo when he came over to her and sat down next to her, the water splashing a bit around him as he moved. "I know all about that 'questions later' attitude," she teased, nudging Levi. She was getting cold in the night sky and the wind, but she didn't want to move, didn't want this moment to ever end, it was so perfect. Just quiet. Her hand was touched by something warm, and she got pulled back to the present, looking at the Exo hand holding hers. "Hm," she hummed softly, squeezing Levi's hand before just moving to lean against him, watching the starry sky. "Quite the pair. I didn't imagine I'd find a- boyfriend on Nessus," she blushed, the word still foreign to her.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "You're surprisingly easy to be around with," she admitted softly, as if it was a secret intended just for them. "But, I'm getting cold. I'd really appreciate either a good bed or a nice campfire," she smiled, opening her eyes and looking at the Exo. "So, what do you have to offer?" she pulled away for a bit and then stood up, the water splashing up before calming down again. Yhe Warlock put a hand on the Exo's shoulder for a second, before walking up to shore and gathering her armour, having Ghost transmat it away before having it transmat some towels and fresh clothes. "I, assume we'll be spending the night here?" she then wondered, turning to Levi as she wrapped the towel around her body,

"What do I have to offer? What don'tI have to offer? Shelley, if you would." He waved his hand, flourishing regally, and multiple objects transmatted onto the beach: A tent, neatly set up, just big enough for two; a couple of cast iron cooking pots, with a cooler of seafood to cook; and a neatly constructed campfire, ready to be lit, along with a rack designed to be put on top, to cook on. "Surprise! Instant campsite."

Levi kicked at a rock on the beach, smiling to himself. "I may have planned this last night. It's been a while since I've had the pleasure of camping." The Exo walked onto the beach, patting himself off with a towel. "If you could, light up the fire for me? It IS getting cold. And I hope you don't mind, I only brought a sleeping pad and a lot of blankets, sleeping bags are for chumps. As soon as there's some coals going, I'll start cooking."

He smirked, unable to wipe the smile off his face as he pulled a pair of shorts on.

Vax laughed softly, she already figured out this side of Levi showed when he was content with the situation, and prepared. Always prepared. The Warlock looked around the campsite, holding a hand over the wood. A spark ignited from her open palm and the wood started burning, the crackling of it filling the air. "This sound," she had a small and fond smile on her face, staring into the fire. She grinned at Levi, pure happiness on her face. "Has such good memories for me," she walked into the tent, dropping the towel and putting on a black sweater and some leggings. She put her hair in a low ponytail and walked back to Levi. "This evening is perfect," she whispered to him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

The Exo seemed to be giving off warmth instead of absorbing her apparent one, his body comfortable against the Awoken's one. "You're perfect," she murmured, nuzzling into Levi's neck contently. She could stay here forever, just holding onto Levi, this Warlock that popped in her life and completely took it over. "I'm- I've never been happier," she then mumbled, tightening her hold on Levi almost embarrassedly. She usually didn't word her feelings, letting her actions speak a thousand words instead. But with Levi, she wanted to say it all the time. I like you, you're amazing.She grinned, finally letting go. "I love blankets, it's perfect."

Levi kissed her forehead, holding her body to his, tightly. He looked at the fire for a minute, just relishing the touch of her to him. "It is a perfect moment. For the most perfect woman, and Guardian." 

Shelley levitated some shrimp, salmon collars, and fresh oysters onto the cooking grate, melting some butter on a dish as well. Levi broke the embrace for a moment, pulling on a tank top. "I hope you like seafood, it was hard to find stuff this fresh." He nudged Shelley out of the way, putting some spices (Old bay, salt, paprika) on the shrimp and salmon, nudging some coals over to the other side, to heat up the cast iron. "I really hope you're hungry, but I might eat all this myself." The seafood really started to cook, aroma wafting through the air as the sun continued to set, shadows almost covering the campsite. 

Shelley huffed, mad from being kicked out from cooking, and she transmatted away.

"I need to do this more often. Have fun, and stuff."

Vax turned to look at the cooking Exo, a slightly impressed smile on her face, for just a moment. "So, you mentioned cooking," she sat down next to Levi, watching the food be prepared. "A hobby? Necessity? I've never learned how to, I always buy my food. Never run out of Glimmer anyway," she hummed softly, the crackling of the fire filing the momentary silence. She looked out over the lake, opening her mouth and then closing it again, closing her eyes. "Earlier today, on Mercury. I thought I'd die," she said on a whisper, bunching her shoulders up. "My Light was suppressed once again, it was terrifying. I honestly think I would've died if you'd have taken a second longer," she sighed looking down at the sand and drawing some random figures in it.

"... Where were you when Ghaul attacked?" she then asked finally, voice barely audible. It wasn't a judgmental question, voiced more to resemble curiosity. "I was coming back from a mission, we radioed in that we were on our way and were just met with static. When we flew through the clouds we were met with just.. smoke, and a red sky filled with enemy ships. I didn't know what I was seeing," she sighed. She didn't know why she was telling him this, perhaps she had been meaning to ask for a while. "I had to fight my way through the hanger, and then the-" her voice got caught in her throat.

It had been months, but still, the sight of it terrified her. "The Vanguard halls. You know where Eris was set up, don't you? It was completely covered in debris, that glowing orb of her just lying there. I couldn't even stay and think about it," she shook her head, the night suddenly feeling ice cold. "Had to rush through the Plaza and an alleyway to get to that ship," she shivered, looking at the fire as if in a trance. "When the Light left I just felt like concrete, like I could barely move my body. Ghost just, fell down. And then he kicked me off that ship and I- it's a miracle I'm even alive," she let out something resembling an impressed chuckle. "Suppose the Traveler didn't think it was my time."

Levi thought for a moment, slowly flipping the seafood, taking the now-open oysters off of the heat. "It's not a story I like to remember." He admitted. What do I tell her? Do I completely lie? Do I tell her the truth? Do I want to give up?

"There was the mother of all heists, on Venus. We had found a Vex maze of sorts; a dungeon that kept reorganizing itself. We got to the end, expected treasure, and found a very pissed Gate Lord instead. It was if-" He paused. "It was if this Vex had more power by simply being in the maze. I had taken down a Gate Lord before, by myself, and I'm pretty sure we all had. But this was more... sinister. It was if it delighted in trapping us in there for days, and we could only transmat out at the end. And that's when the Traveler slept." He took some plates and silverware out of a bag.

A shrimp burnt, the white flesh turning to black. Levi didn't notice it was inadvertently on the hottest part of the fire. 

"I barely made it out of there alive. That's where I lost Noct and Deia. I don't know where they are, and they weren't in the maze when I returned." His voice faltered a little bit. Exhaustion? Emotion?

I don't want to lie to you, Vax.

He sniffed, and cleared his throat. "It's okay. We all lost someone, in this Red War. In my case, I legitimately don't know where they are. And you help me take my mind off it. So does cooking. You asked why I cook; and why I garden, by extension, I suppose. I do things to help me take my mind off of being a Guardian. When I garden, when I cook, I feel normal. I feel like I'm not a hulking bulk of tech that can open small black holes with his space magic. I'm creating, rather than destroying. 

And on the rare occasion I have a visitor, it at least makes them feel at home." He handed Vax a plate of food, steam rising off of it, like a hot spring in winter. "Careful, Princess, it's hot."

Vax took the plate of food from the Warlock, a frown on her face. “So... that’s where you lost them,” she said softly, looking down at the food. “I never thought about the Guardians who were away from the Tower just lost their Light, too. I think we lost so many because of the recklessness we’ve all grown to have,” she was quiet for another moment, unsure how to reply. Levi was obviously still struggling with the fact of what had happened, he probably wouldn’t have burnt that food if he hadn’t thought about. 

The Warlock moved a hand to Levi’s, smiling gently. “It’ll be fine, yeah? We’ll find them,” the way Levi had talked about them made it sound like they’d died, yet he was still deadset on finding them. How? Maybe they had been taken by the Gate Lord, lost in time and space like Kabr was. But after all this time, they still hadn’t freed him from that prison, forcing him to be that relic for eternity’s time. Vax sighed softly, it probably was best that Levi wouldn’t know that. Only the Vanguard and the Vault of Glass fireteam knew. 

“Saladin told me, when the Light was lost... he was at the Iron Temple,” she started softly, starting to eat the food. “Oh, that’s good. He said that, he just felt completely drained. Fell to the ground and was just unable to get up, for the first time in a long time he was actually scared,” she chewed down the shrimp, quiet for a moment. “He and I found each other after I defeated Ghaul. I missed Eris, I felt alone. So I went around the world, just killed random Fallen and Hive, found a Cabal ship buried in a desert, an ancient one,” she shrugged, taking another salmon collar. “It was a month when he found me on top of a ridge somewhere in some mountains. I was camping and he just, walked up and told me he’d keep me company. I didn’t really have a say in the matter,” she smiled a bit, humming as she looked at the lake. “A month later we almost died going through a Hive nest, that’s where we first kissed.”

She didn’t know why she was telling him this, there was no reason to, other than to maybe distract Levi’s thoughts, keep him occupied.

"You two are cute. I just find it really funny that this quiet, reserved Warlock gets along with a very... dedicated, intense Titan.TheIron Lord. But, who am I to judge, as I know that Warlock, and she has a lot of love in her heart to give." Levi finished his dinner, transmatting the stuff away, leaving only the campfire and the tent. He laid down on a blanket, hands behind his head, looking up at the sky. "I guess I never thought about having multiple partners, or even one for that matter... but I guess if we're immortal to all but falling by the blade, I guess it doesn't matter. It's a fun prospect. But for now, you're all I need." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and relaxing. "We've probably both been in more life-threatening situations that we can count, but it's nights like these, nights like these that make our lives worth living, huh?"

Levi shook his head. "Gods, listen to me getting all sentimental. What did you do to me, huh?", he joked. 

The sun finally set, lingering vestiges of twilight still lighting the night sky. The forest seemed to come alive, with owls hooting, crickets chirping, and the occasional howl of a wolf ringing through the forest, far away. Levi raised his head a tiny bit as he heard the gentle awooooooo, sitting up a tiny bit. "A lone wolf. Sound like anyone you know?" He smirked at his little joke.

"Hah, thank you," Vax said softly, a fond smile on her face. "We do make quite the pair," she looked up to the dark sky, the stars seeming to sparkle. "He told me about when he first saw me. I never did Iron Banner but a friend wanted to do it with me, so I went over to him and apparently I took his breath away," she chuckled a bit, the memory still fresh in her mind. "Of course I paid no attention to him, I just came to get those damned sign-up papers and be done with it. But he, was apparently fascinated by me," she leaned back on her arms, closing her eyes. "Having multiple partners was never weird for me. I never considered the possibility, things just, happened. You won't hear me complain though, as a certain Exo said, I have lots of love to give," she leaned over Levi and gently kissed him for a moment, smiling at him, before lying down next to him, shuffling close to him.

"Spending an evening like this with somebody you like is always something worth living for," she stated, the fire crackling peacefully into the night. "I apparently got a lone wolf to fall in love," she then whispered, a grin on her face. There were some fireflies hovering over the water, and some ducks walked into the lake, the darkness hiding them. The Awoken sighed, eyes tired. "I'm exhausted," she murmured, nuzzling close to Levi and closing her eyes. "I'm going to sleep."

The night sky came with a little bit of colder weather, but Levi was already asleep,, gently breathing. The fire dwindled down, waves of the lake quietly washing up onto the shore. 

A few small bats flew high up, between the tops of the trees. 

The two Warlocks slept, cuddled together in the entrance of the tent. 

Neither of them are going to be truly prepared for the day to come.

The sun was shining down on the two Guardians entangled in the blankets, cuddled together and fast asleep. The birds were chirping loudly, the clouds slowly passing by, when Vax awoke. It was a warm spring day, the water still. The Warlock opened her eyes lazily, the sun warming her exposed arms. Levi was sleeping next to her, a hand resting on Vax' hips and his other under his head, supporting it. Vax grinned a bit, a happy blush warming up her face as shuffled closer and kissed Levi's forehead, before moving away and getting up, stretching.

She bundled the blankets up around Levi, making sure he was comfortable before walking over to the lake and undressing, throwing the clothes away before walking into the calm water, smiling. She got up to her chin and then started swimming, enjoying the warmth around her for a moment before moving up to simply float, eyes closed.

A yawn could be heard from the tent, as Levi exited the canvas, stretching his arms. He looked pretty groggy, and he was at least still half asleep. The Warlock walked over to the beach, sitting down on the sand, adjacent to where Vax was floating. 

Today's the day, Levi. You have to make the choice. Shelley's voice rang in his head, and he sighed. Shelley, you are my Ghost, but it is MY choice and I will make it where and when I please. Even IF I choose to go along with the plan. You're not to interfere. Levi looked at his hands, deep in thought, sitting upright with his legs folded. She's important to me, but Noct and Deia gave up their lives because I had a bad hunch about some treasure. A blood debt may be more important than... the perfect girl.

Guardians make their own fate.

Levi looked up, gazing over the lake. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes. I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful Awoken, and I've met the Queen." His voice traveled out across the lake.

Vax opened her eyes when Levi spoke, a purple blush rising to her cheeks as she looked at the Exo, a small and embarrassed smile on her face. “I could say the same to you,” she swam over to Levi, cocking her head. “Care to join for a morning swim? Or do you want to go back to the Tower?” she splashed some water at Levi’s feet before moving back to float on her back, the sun shining down on the lake. “I’ve seen the Queen too, I wonder where she is,” she hummed, stretching herself out in the water. 

She glanced at the Exo, some birds flying overhead. “You actually look... troubled,” she swam towards the shore, looking up to Levi. “Are you okay?”

"I'm alright." He quickly stripped, wading into the water, and sitting in the shallow area, water coming up to his neck as he kneeled there. "If we can, let's simulate today. We can sneak around the Vex pretty easily. Just a test run, you know? For practice. In fact, we can simulate directly into Atheon's throne room. No need to go through the whole thing, right?" Levi looked somberly at his companion, ripples expanding outward with every small movement; every small change inciting something bigger. "I know I've been all about this, but I promise as soon as we have everything ready to go, I have some thinking to do. I've been thinking about your views on time, and using Vex timegates to find where Noct and Deia are might not be the best option available. You're right. But for now, this is an option, and I think if we get practice in, we'll have a higher chance of success against the real simulation."

I'm lying to her face. Is this the person I've become?

Levi huffed. "I think it's time I become a bigger part of things. I want to run missions with you, like Vanguard-sanctioned missions. I want to play my part. But not before I try this."

Vax looked at Levi as he stripped down to just his frame and waded into the calm water, sitting next to her. She swam up towards him and sat down close to him, her head tilted as she listened, curious to hear what he had to say. She pursed her lips slightly, hands resting on her knees. "Even a test run will be dangerous. If it's the legit chamber, it may- it may take a while, especially since we'll have to find the actual simulation. We'd have to ask Osiris," she murmured, brain working hard on finding a solution. 

She blinked at his words, then, looking up to the curious Exo, stammering for a second. "You- you despise the Vanguard," she then mustered out, letting out an airy laugh of disbelief. "Like, I appreciate you wanting to help us, but- don't you hate their interference in stuff?" she looked away, out to the open lake. It definitely felt less magical at daylight, talking about serious matters. She huffed and then just clenched her jaw. "It's actually none of my business, it's fine," her eyes seemed hard when she just looked straight at the water.

This alarmed her even more, something was going on with Levi, something he wasn't telling her, and she did not like it. The Awoken abruptly stood up, the water splashing from the disruption, and walked back to shore, a frown carved on her face as she gathered a towel and wrapped it around herself. "Do we have breakfast? Or should we hop by the Tower?" she pulled her hair back and out of her face, back turned to Levi, as she took a deep and heavy breath. She needed to figure out what was happening with Levi, and something told her the best way to do that was to just go with him on this adventure that mattered so much to him, it's the least she could do. 

She let out a low grumble and then turned back to Levi, face masked in a slight smile, as if to apologise for her slight outburst. "Sorry. Not always a morning person," she gathered her clothes, waving them free of the sand. "I can talk to Ikora about this, she'll appreciate the extra help."

"I do hate the Vanguard, but I hate you a little less, and I suppose it'll be okay as long as you're on my Fireteam." Levi followed, her, shaking dry, before transmatting his Braytech research robes on. "I think it's time to give up on being a loner. You taught me that, a little. But I need to try this. I need to know my plan will work."

He brought up a hologram, making minute changes to the pause code. "I'm going to change. I told you, I'll follow you wherever you lead us. But if I don't at least know this could work, I won't get it out of my mind. I'll go myself if I have to." He fiddled with the code, it hovering above his right hand, his left hand twitching at his side. 

His face was somber. Whatever thoughts were running through his head, they were obviously dark, and painful for him. "I didn't sleep too well last night. I had a nightmare or two."

Please, Vax, just... don't make this any harder for us, than it has to be.

Levi grabbed a small bag, pulling out a metal sheet and placing it above the fire Shelley had been making. "As for food, though, I'm going to make pancakes. I fucking love pancakes."

Vax dropped her towel and dressed herself in her new robes, sitting down next to Levi. “I understand, I’m sorry for my outburst,” she said softly, frowning. “I just- worry. This is dangerous, going through the Vault with six men was already dangerous,” she put on her gloves and gauntlets, biting her lips. “Levi, you- you do know that, right? You’re not doing this as a suicide mission?” she was worried, she didn’t believe he was doing it as such, but something about this mission sounded reckless. 

She moved a hand up to Levi’s, grabbing it and holding it for a second. “You’ll be okay, yeah? Nightmares are awful, but they’re not real,” she dropped her hand back to her lap, remembering her nightmares the first few weeks when she was resurrected, right after the Tower fell. “I like pancakes,” she distracted herself. “I haven’t had them many times, but I like them,” she summoned Ghost, smiling a bit. “Sorry for the silence,” she whispered, letting it free. 

She looked out over the lake, lost in thought. She was afraid of the plan, of what it could do, what could happen. Even a simulation was still dangerous, they could get lost in it, die in it and never return, nobody the wiser. She looked back at Levi. “Hey, we should message Osiris still. He’ll understand, may even know some extra code.”

"Osiris will bar us from the Forest as soon as he sees what we're trying to do." He poured some batter, the sticky paste forming a near-perfect circle. "The old man's a hypocrite. Thinks that he, alone, should be the one to use the Forest. As long as the test goes fine, I'll agree, but he might just take the stop code and leave." The pancakes started to bubble, and he flipped them gingerly, being sure to take care, as to not tear or mush them. 

"Vax, this isn't a suicide run. In fact, I want to avoid any and all Vex. I would give anything to stay here, with you, and be at your side for the rest of time. But I made a promise to Noct and Deia, when they became Guardians, that I would take care of them. And I don't intend to break that promise. But... I don't want to give you up, either. I can tell you're apprehensive about this. I care about you. But they mean a lot to me, too. I don't want to give up when I'm this close, you know?"

He plated the pancakes, slicing some bananas for the top. "I'm loyal to the people I love. I can't stress that enough. And Noct, Deia, they meant the world to me."

"Besides, if we get into trouble in the Vault, and something happens, Traveler forbid, I won't be able to see you anymore. And that would hurt, too." Levi handed her a plate, butter and maple syrup already applied. 

"And then I wouldn't get to see you naked anymore." He smirked, teasing, looking at his hands.

Vax took the plate, nodding a thanks. She sat it down in her lap, sighing softly, yet also smiling a bit. “I appreciate your sentiment, it’s- it’s definitely likewise. I do want to help, as much as I can, but I also need to keep safety in mind, making sure we’ll get out of there,” she took a bite from her pancake. “Oh, that’s amazing,”

She was silent for a moment, thinking as she ate some of her pancake. “We’ll do this, then,” she said quietly, almost fearfully. “I don’t like it, but- we all deserve closure. We’ll find them.” she finished her pancake, setting her plate aside and huffing out a breath as she sat back, enjoying the sun shining down on them. 

“So, our plan is as we talked about yesterday?” she confirmed, fidgeting with her hands. She was anxious to go back into the Vault of Glass, it had been tough.

"Yeah. Simulate right into the main room. Avoid any guards, and keep out of sight. Use the pause code to hold all the Vex, including Atheon. Hack into a time gate, and look at the moment the Gate Lord broke the three of us up. Easy peasy. I'm sure you've been in the Forest before, the way between simulations isn't too hard to fight through. Ms. Knockout Warlock right here will have a field day." He poked her playfully, as Shelley floated over the fire, gently extinguishing it with a beam of light. "In and out, within 3 hours. A simple stealth mission. If the woman who was part of the Fireteam who managed to navigate their way around the Gorgons is part of this mission, then we have no worries by sneaking by some frozen Vex, who can be trapped in a forcefield if need be." Levi rambled on a little bit, emulating Asher Mir at points, with complex figures and even more complex words being thrown around. 

After a bit, he took a deep breath. Shelley had transmatted everything away, and the campsite was empty save for footprints. 

"We can do it. Hell, it might be fun." Levi sat on a log, wiping some dirt off his helmet. "I'm ready to go, if you are."

Vax smiled a bit at Levi, glad to hear the plan once again. His way of speaking was always so adorable, somehow. He talked as if everything in life was simple as a button press, no sweat, just take a step back and take it easy when looking for the solution, she loved it. The Warlock stood up, dusting off her robes. “Well, luckily I’m wearing the right robes for the job then,” she had Ghost transmat her helmet, holding it in her hand as she leaned down and kissed Levi for a moment, her free hand resting on his cheek.“Inbetween the lack of kisses in battle,” she smiled, her hand sliding off his cheek, back to her side. 

She stood back up straight, looking at their ships parked in the distance. “I’ll have you know that although the Gorgon maze was no fun, the jumping part after it was actually the most terrifying. The platforms kept disappearing and if you failed you fell into a seemingly endless pit. But yeah,” she shrugged. “None of that if we just end up in Atheon’s chamber right away,” she smiled gently, the plan finally starting to sound reasonable. Finally it didn’t sound like a pure suicide mission. 

She started walking over to her ship, putting a hand on it before turning back to look at Levi, a fond smile on her face. “Also, you’re quite cute when talking about the stuff you like.” she grinned at him, before transmatting herself onto her ship, setting course to Mercury on her autopilot.

"I- hey- but- that's not fair! You can't just call me cute and rocket off!" Levi yelled, pulling his helmet on quickly. The Warlock sat up, transmatting to his ship as well, slamming the throttle down to catch up to Vax. 

A building, in the Ishtar Sink. A Guardian transmats into the rubble, rolling down the pile of stones and scrap metal. The Exo came to a rest at the foot of the pile, left arm pierced by a piece of iron rebar, right through the wrist. His Ghost tumbled down next to him, flickering, all Light lost. 

Levi tore his helmet off, gasping for air. His left arm was still impaled, his ghost was near death.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and he screamed, trying to conjure Void, trying to will life back into Shelley.

Nothing happened. 

The scene shifts. A vault, also in the Ishtar Sink. An Exo sat in the corner, waiting with a Ghost floating next to him. The Ghost inquired: "Why do you think you were kept in here? I mean, I'm pretty sure we'll be found, it'll just take a while for my distress signal to reach the Vanguard, but... Why are you the only complete Exo in this Vault?

Levi shrugged. "Maybe it's because I'm dangerous to the people around me."

Levi and Vax exited NLS space, right outside Mercury's upper atmosphere. The former jerked back to reality, taking hold of the controls again.

Back at Mercury. Vax sighed, standing up from her seat and walking back into the ship, pushing some buttons on a screen, lost in thought. She stumbled a bit when her ship turned around for touchdown, and she hesitated, hand hovering over the button for a transmat. 

This was going to be a test run according to Levi, but something in her gut was screaming, screeching at her that something was wrong, that something will go wrong. And she was terrified of it, a cold sweat running down her spine.

”Eris! Eris!” her voice echoed through the destroyed halls, fire burning and crackling around the panicked Warlock, sweating, maybe even crying. The Tower had fallen, she was alive, but by the Traveler, please- she rounded the corner.

Her glowing green orb lied there, destroyed and broken in pieces, the whole area covered in debris and lit eerily by the broken orb. But no body, no Eris. Where-

Vax let out a shaky gasp, blinking. A gut feeling. 

She slammed her hand on the button, eyes pressed close as she transmatted onto the planet, tried to forget her sudden flashback. But it was too heavy on her, too real. She waited for Levi to appear before she turned to him, taking hold of his arm tightly. “Something is going to go wrong, I can feel it,” she didn’t care if she sounded crazy, if she sounded insane, he needed to understand she knew, there was more at play. “I- I don’t know,” she looked away, averted her gaze to the sand blowing by them, breath still shaky and shallow as she dropped her hand. 

How could he believe her? Even if he did, it wouldn’t stop him.

"Vax, we're here. I'm not going to give up when we're so close!" He put his hands on her shoulders, touching his helmet to hers. "Like it or not, we're both in this now. This is the final step. This is just as hard for me, as it is for you." He pulled her close for a quick hug. "In and out, I promise. We won't have to fire a shot." 

I need her help, now. I don't know which gate is which- and the future gate won't help me now.

Levi ended the embrace, slowly walking towards the gate to the Infinite Forest. He took his steps gingerly, almost as though his body didn't want him to walk. Footsteps in the sand quickly disappeared as the gate opened; wind erased any trace that they were there. 

The hurt, broken Warlock stopped at the gate, before stepping in. "Please. You're right. This isn't a trial run. I'm sorry I lied. But I can't do this alone. And I know you're not going to let me go in alone. Unfortunately, that's the way you are. And that makes you amazing. "

"Lock and load, Princess." He stepped in, disappearing into the Forest.

Vax stared at the Exo as he put his hands on her shoulders, touched their helmets, told her so nicely what he knew she'd want to hear. "In and out - as if!" she breathed, feeling a bolt of anger bubbling up inside her, this was more than just a mission, this was going back in to a powerful enemy who could wipe them from existence with a glance if it so desired, an enemy that was already tough to defeat with six, impossible with two. She walked after Levi, wanted to grab hold of his arm and pull him back, but then he just- admitted it. Admitted that what she had been feeling was right, that this was more.

She let out a breath of disbelief, staring at the Warlock, frozen in place. "You - !" she started, hands trembling from the pure rage that started consuming her. Void energy bubbled up in her fists, but she took a deep and shaky breath, looking away from Levi as he walked into the Forest, away from her promise. If she didn't follow him he'd die. She clenched her jaw hard, swallowing thickly. She had to follow him, she'd promised. And he used it to get what he wanted no matter what the cost.

She stepped into the Forest, breathing heavily. "You lied to me," her voice was shaky, but otherwise devoid of any emotion, so glad her helmet was hiding her face. "You - you want to change the past, don't you? They didn't disappear. They died," she looked at Levi, everything in her body was screaming for her to leave, to let Levi do this on his own and suffer the consequences. And yet she didn't, couldn't. "You realise that by bringing them back you will alter the future, as soon as they set a foot in this timeline-" she let out another breath of disbelief, licking her lips. "We may not even meet, then. Who knows what will change," she clenched her jaw, staring at the Warlock in front of her, hoping he could feel the pure anger and hatred radiating from her. "You're awful. But I made a fucking promise, so let's go and change this godforsaken timeline." she walked past Levi without another word, ignoring him.

"I may have lied about my little experiment, but I didn't lie about anything else." Levi said this quietly, following his angered companion. He took a deep breath, hands shaking a little, out of anxiousness and fear. "And... they're not going to have any bearing on the timeline. I'm going to save them once Shelley transmats past me away- I won't know the difference. I've done the math, Vax. I knew how you would hate this, and disagree. But you're right- we both have promises to keep." His steps came gingerly, like he was trying to keep from disturbing the entrance of the Forest.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to pull her away, take them to safety, tell her he was sorry. He wanted to tell Vax that he never meant to hurt her, or manipulate her. But the truth was he knew exactly what he was doing. Levi was destructive to the people around him, not just himself. 

"Let's get this done, and I'll face the music. But they didn't deserve what happened to them."

"Neither do you." He loaded his rifle, Void rippling through it. "Let's crack this Vault open. Shelley's got the forcefield projector charged and waiting."

If it not were for his helmet, Vax could have seen the tears in his eyes. This wasn't easy for him. Levi was a man filled with regret, and sorrow.

Vax kept on walking, only half listening to Levi’s words. She didn’t care anymore, in an instance all her positive feelings towards him just turned to resentment and hatred, yet tears were glistening in her eyes, and she hated it, an angry frown on her face as she kept walking, Void Energy of pure anger twirling around her whole body. None of his words now even mattered anymore, all she wanted to do was get this over with and go back to Saladin. And if she died... Traveler be damned will she resent this awful, awfulman. I didn’t lie about anything else.

Vax opened the portal to the pathways in an instant, walking down the stairs while she aimed down the sight, easily taking down the Vex shooting at them, just one shot right in their red glowing eyes, no fucking problem. She opened the gate to the next segment, skillfully shooting at the Vex, taking down the deamons and accessing the other gates. 

And then they were at the large portal, the transition to the past, to the Vault of Glass simulation. The Warlock gripped her scout rifle tighter, trying to stabilise herself. She was still livid, fuming, filled with angry nothingness, but she really needed to calm down before entering the Vault. She needed to control the Void, not be controlled by it. She stayed standing in front of the door for a moment, taking deep and heavy breaths, calming herself down as the Void light dwindled down back into her. She clenched her jaw down harshly, arm moving up to open the transitional gate, the triangle smoothly dissipating.

She couldn’t believe how much he played her, how he had completely manipulated her into doing something so reckless and dangerous, so completely ridiculous. And she figured it out way too late, foolish, foolish. She had been completely enamoured by him while he was probably thinking about a game plan to do this, use her. 

She started walking into the gate, ignoring the presence behind her.

The two walked into the throne room of the Vault. The air was stale, stagnant with the passing of aeons. The Vex in the room, including the lumbering, shining bulk of the god known as Aethon, were frozen in time- not a single being moved other than the two Guardians and their ghosts. The two time portals were active- constantly switching between scenes from the future and the past. Light refracted off of the Vex glass at the back of the cavern. 

"The pause code is active. The Vex shouldn't be able to move- and this is different than when Osiris was stopping simulations. We're only stopping a simple part of a simulation- The Vex hive mind should need much more time to figure out that we've done something here." Levi spoke quietly, stepping forward, out of cover into a Hobgoblin's line of sight. As soon as he saw the Vex unit was completely frozen, he jumped, Gliding over to the middle platform, right between the two Gates. "I told you this would work. All I need now is you- just tell me which one is the Past, quickly, and I'll do my thing. Out of here quickly, before the Vex know we're simulating something this complex. Just keep watch, in cover. I don't want you to get hurt." More than I've already hurt you.

"Noct and Deia will be hurt. Near death. I'll have to heal them quickly, and we'll get the hell out of here. And if you want, you never have to see, or talk with me again. We're going to disappear, do our own thing for a while, and come back when we need to."

"So, please, Vax. Tell me and we can end this charade."

The Vault of Glass.

Vax would be lying if she said she wasn't scared, Vex simulations were always hyperrealistic and this one was not an exception. Being back in the Chamber was terrifying, the fight with Atheon had been a long one... the Warlock shook her head, shook away the past. She walked over to Atheon, looking up to the massive robot with cold sweat on her forehead and a shiver down her spine. She moved her hand to touch Atheon's smooth leg, a frown on her face. He controlled Time, there was no reason these simple lines of code would stop him, and yet... 

She turned around to Levi, acknowledging him finally. "Right portal. It always sent us to a flourishing Venus, definitely the past." she looked back at Atheon, swallowing. Standing in front of him like this was even more terrifying. She couldn't think about Levi right now, about the hurt he caused. Stepping foot inside the Chamber had automatically put her back in the mindset of destroy Atheon, on edge and alert. Anytime they could come alive...

Levi sighed. "Thank you."

A still moment passed. Memories of the past few days seemed to flash by for him. His gun transmatted away, and the Warlock nodded to Shelley, the forcefield projector appearing in his hands. Time seemed to stop for him. This was it. He was going to get Noct and Deia back.

But Vax shouldn't have to lose her standing in the Vanguard, just to help him. It's too dangerous for her. Too unsafe. And if word spread about this, about her breaking the laws of space and time, then she'd be ruined. 

"Vax I- I'm sorry. Really." 

Levi pressed a button on the unit, and a bright, red sphere appeared around Vax, keeping her trapped in place, behind cover. He placed the unit on the ground, and ripped his helmet off, throwing it into the abyss beside him. "Tell the Vanguard that you tried to stop me, and I trapped you. You'll be safe. As soon as I exit the Forest, the simulation will end, and you'll be back on Mercury. This way, you don't have to suffer any consequences of what I'm doing here. 

And if..... and if you want to find me, I'll be somewhere quiet. Where I can keep to myself, and really decide about what I want, in this second life of ours. Somewhere I can crash land again, and be safe. I don't imagine the Vanguard will be willing to interact with me, any time soon."

He snapped his fingers, and more algorithms appeared, linking together as the Gate behind him sprang to life, playing out an all-too-familiar scene. Three Guardians hiding from a Gate Lord. 

"I know this is dumb to say, but... I love you, Vax. You're different than anyone I'll ever meet. But I have a blood debt to pay. And Guardians make their own fate."

Vax opened her mouth, turned back to Levi, and then blinked, a frown appearing on her face. "... Levi?" she was about to walk over when her movement was restricted and a red shield appeared around her, trapping her. "Levi what the fuck are you doing!?" she sounded panicked, hands pushing against the unfamiliar shield, trying to break it. Her heart pounded in her throat, breath coming out shallow, she was panicking. "Levi-" she balled her hands into fists, staring at the Warlock. "You asshole!" she banged against the shield, the Light draining from her, incapacitating her. She slid onto the ground, weak. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she started sobbing, despite her anger and hatred, she was crying. 

"You- keep lying," she watched as the algorithms appeared, sobbing at the Warlock in front of her. His words barely reached her, her mind going a thousand miles an hour, trying to come up with an escape. I love you. She leaned her head against the shield, letting out a sob. "Fuck you." she whispered, trying to once again press her hands against the shield, break it, escape this stupid fucking thing and stop Levi. She watched the code come together and the portal open, and then Levi stepped through and vanished.

The simulation around her resumed its course for just a second before the cave started trembling, dust and rocks falling from the ceiling and breaking the floor as it closed. The Warlock just lied in her shield, sobbing, as the simulation fell apart around her. And then she was teleported back to Mercury, the shield breaking and the Warlock falling to the ground, the Light coming back to her. But she didn't move, the hot air of Mercury burning around her as she cried and cried, shoulders shaking. That asshole.

Just as the portal to the Forest closed, three Guardians stepped through. A tall, bulky Awoken Titan, red and white armor battled scarred and pocketmarked. He carried a small minigun at his side, and his helmet was off. The shaved sides of his head were matted with blood, and his purple hair was singed. But he was alive.

Second, an Awoken Hunter. Her helmet was also off, and the back of her purple armor was completely destroyed. An empty bandolier hung at her hip, and so did two empty gun holsters. Her completely white hair, eyes, and lips sat in stark contrast to her grey skin. She, too, was alive.

Lastly, a Warlock in blue and grey robes exited the Forest. His white machinery reflected against the Sun, save for the jet-black prosthesis that was attached where his left arm should be. He was not damaged, at least not externally. He was dead, in the exact way that wounded wolves trapped into corners felt dead. 

He sighed as he beheld Vax at the bottom of the stairs, not looking directly at her. He couldn't. 

Three ships exited orbit and approached the gate, hovering about them, waiting for their pilots. 

Noct spoke up first, ever the leader. His voice was loud and strong, as a Titan's should be, but not without a soft sympathetic tone. "I.... appreciate your help, Guardian. I know that was not an easy ordeal for you. Please, just let us be. We will not trouble you again."

Vax had calmed down but was still trembling when she heard the voice, an unfamiliar voice she did not recognise. She didn't look back at the portal, eyes wide as she sat up and summoned Ghost, as if to protect herself with its presence. She didn't wanna see him, didn't want to see his friends he saved. He used her in every way possible, and although he had said he felt sorry, she found it hard to believe. She understoodhis reasoning, she'd do anythingto get Eris back, but she'd never... never would she meddle with the past and what should've been. She let out a sob and just transmatted herself to her ship, body disappearing from Mercury.

In her ship she walked to the pilot seat and sat down, taking deep yet shallow breaths, trying to calm down. She didn't want to see him, not now, not anytime soon. She just wanted to go home, to lie in bed for days on end and just stay there, right in Saladin's arms . Her ship orbited the planet calmly, the sound of the void outside almost soothing, but it wasn't enough to calm her hurt. She pressed her eyes closed, taking a deep breath. "Ghost, I'm a dumbass," she whispered, body shaking.

Ghost appeared next to her, its shell forming something close to a frown. It hovered close to Vax, flew into her neck and stayed there, trying to calm her with its presence. "We could not have seen that coming." it said softly.

Vax gently moved up her hands to hold Ghost, swallowing thickly. "I should have. But I was too infatuated, like some school girl head over heels," she moved a hand back to her helmet, unlocking it and pulling it off before she threw it to the back of the ship, breathing in the air deeply. "He brought back people who should've stayed dead, meddled with the past," she whispered shakily, staring at the surface of Mercury. "I - he used me for that, and then protected me under the sum of me staying on good terms with the Vanguard, as if I can't do that myself," she clenched her jaw, holding tighter onto Ghost. "I don't want anything to do with them , not now, not - anytime soon. But I-" she understood why he did it, she hated that thought but she understood. She took a deep breath., pushing the button to go back to Earth. "I won't tell the Vanguard. He'll have to take that responsibility himself eventually."

It had been months. 

Months since Levi had betrayed and lied to her, gotten back his long-lost friends, something she inadvertedly helped him with. She still despised him for it, but the wound wasn't fresh anymore, it had started healing slowly but surely, with Saladin helping her in anyway he could. Levi still popped up in her mind sometimes, his stupid smile and cocky attitude, the lining of his Exo frame that she thought as ever interesting. She missed him, of course, it'd been only a few days, but already she had been completely infatuated with him, wanting him with her as much as possible. And yet that miss did not overrule her anger, her resentment. He had betrayed her trust, she had been talkingto him, and he just completely ruined it.

So here she was, on Nessus once again, first time in months. After the whole debacle on Mars she wanted to cool down on another planet, preferably not one filled with water. So she chose Nessus, spending her days doing patrols and spending the evenings looking out over the landscape while resting in an alcove high above.

The sun was just rising when Vax noticed the gathering of Vex, the sun reflecting off of their shiny metal. The Warlock stood up, grabbing her helmet and hand cannon as she did. "What's that?" she murmured, squinting to the gathering off into the distance as she put her helmet on and locked it in place. "It seems to be a special event for the Vex. Whatever it is, it won't be good," Ghost responded, the two of them watching it happening for just a moment more before Vax jumped down and landed with a small huff. "Broadcast for help from nearby Guardians, they may be waiting on a big target and I don't think we'll want to wait for it to arrive." she ordered Ghost, the machine disappearing as she ran towards the Vex.

She felt the angry crackling of Lightning flare up inside her and charging down her arm, Arc energy making the air around her static as she charged up a grenade and threw it to the Vex, dispersing their orderly fashion as she hid behind a rock, grabbing her rocket launcher.

"You're not going to get anywhere by taking it slow like that." A light voice rang out on the open Guardian channel, and a Hunter stepped out of the bush- a Hunter with veryfamiliar purple armor. Her twin holsters were carrying two hand cannon revolvers- one white, and one black- which she quickly took out, spinning aimlessly in her fingers, the two guns twirling around fast. She flipped her hands, and by extension the guns, back and forth, the iron spinning around. The woman finally caught the handles of the two; knuckles wrapped tightly around the grips. 

The Vex were not amused. One of the Goblins took a potshot at Deia, which she quickly dodged, and in what seemed like an instant, twelve of the Vex around her and Vax were decimated, reduced to spare parts leaking radiolaria on the ground. The Hunter swung her cape, filling her hands with new bullet magazines from her belt to replace the spent ones. The rock she was hiding behind got lit up, Vex converging on her position.

"You know, I know it's probably been a while since you've seen some action, but you could at least help out here!" Deia sounded snarky compared to her brother- she spoke in velvety, dripping sarcasm. 12 more shots rang out, but the Vex kept coming. "No, it's okay, I've been meaning to get more target practice on this planet that is solely populated by nothing but moving targets!"

Vax already hated this Hunter, an angry heat on her face as she jumped up and shot a rocket at a group of Vex, demolishing them easily in the explosion. She eyed the Hunter with a vague feeling of distaste, the scowl on her face hidden by her mask as she shot down a few more Vex. In something like this it was hardly necessary to keep score or provocate any other Guardians, they were all working equally as hard for the same goal of taking down enemies and thus the threat. As the Warlock shot down the latest Vex Minotaur she was about to drop her gun and take a breath, when the blue static and crackle of reinforcements could be heard. “Incoming.” Ghost called over the radio, Vax jumping back a bit to oversee what was arriving. 

Her eyes grew wider when she realised it was maybe an entire army with the addition of multiple Hydras. She glanced at the Hunter and then ran in there, jumped up, and exploded all the Arc electricity from within her, a lightning bolt striking down all the Vex on the ground and exploding them. Arc energy crackled all over her body as she aimed it at the weaker Vex, wanted to create space for her and the Hunter to take down the Hydras. The Goblins and Harpies exploded violently, Radiolara filling the sky and making it electric, until all that was left were the Hydras. 

Vax came out of stormtrance and ran towards the Hunter, sliding next to them and crouching down. “Gameplay?” Ghost asked, its Warlock observing the Hydras. It were mostly minor Hydras, nothing too important, but inbetween them seemed to be an important enemy, its body lit up from the pure Radiolara flowing through it.

"Yeah, fucking shoot them!" Deia interjected, flames appearing on her arms and shoulders as she raised a flaming pistol, decimating though a Hydra between the gap of its shields. Two more shots, charged with Solar light, came after a pistol spin- but to both Guardians' dismay, the other Hydra's shields absorbed the charged bullets. The purple hunter kneeled behind their cover again, fire dissipating, but her annoyance didn't. She tsk tsk'edat the situation, reloading both of her pistols again, smoke trailing from the barrels. Deia had obviously been in this situation before- and couldn't be unhappier about it. 

"I swear to the Traveler, if this shit happens again I'm going to stay in the other place." She lobbed a grenade behind them, over-the-shoulder, not even looking; the individual seekers spreading between a clutch of Harpies. "Why, oh why, would you even provoke an amount of Vex this big? Princess, my ass- you're a goddamned tornado!" A shot singed her shoulder, blasting a piece of the rock away. The Awoken looked at it slowly. "You know," she said, in a sickly sweet voice, "I could really use one of those famed Voidwalker Nova Bombs right now, before, you know, we get into an even stickier situation."

The crowd of Vex kept approaching, ranks barely thinned by Deia's efforts.

Vax completely froze up, eyes widening behind her visor as she stared at the Hunter for just a moment. Princess. She felt her heart caught in her throat, hands starting to tremble. Goddammit, now wasn't the time. The Warlock was blinking heavily, jaw clenched down harshly as she peeked from cover, shooting down the nearest Vex before sitting back down, body trembling. She hadn't expected to hear that awful nickname again, let alone from a Guardian she didn't know. Her thoughts were drowning out the sounds around her, a cold sweat breaking out over her skin.

Ghost crackled alive over the comms, sounding rushed as if to distract the Hunter from Vax' breakdown. "We'd much rather fight these Vex now than to be caught off guard, we had no way of knowing they'd spawn this many," it said hurriedly, then whispering over private comms, "Vax, please."

Vax gripped at her helmet, eyes pressed close. After the whole Levi incident she hadn't used the Void anymore, willingly shut it off as to not be consumed by the rage it supplied to her. Instead she had been focusing on Arc, the ability that she could easily control as if she was a conductor of lightning herself. She needed the Void. She needed its explosiveness, its nothingness that sucked in all life force inside it. She wasn't even sure if the bomb would get rid of the Hydra that seemed to suck in any and all projectiles, but they had to take the risk.

The Warlock was trembling as she lowered her arms, the thought of using Void after so long terrified her but the Vex forces were overwhelming them, and she needed- she stood up abruptly, exhaling a small breath of fear. She then clenched her jaw and just thought, thought about Levi's betrayal, the words he had spoken, the things he had done, everything he had brought into her life. A purple vortex started forming around her, the Void crackling in the air as it gathered itself inside the Warlock, the shots from the Vex bouncing off it.

Before the Vex could react, Vax jumped up and let out a shout filled with anger, all Void rolling down her arms as she summoned the large vortex, shooting it forward into the group of enemies. The robot parts exploded apart violently, Radiolara spattering up into the air as the vortex of nothingness traveled through them. The bomb exploded into the ground below the Hydra with a loud crackle and something resembling fireworks, the explosion punching up the dirt and rocks and scattering against the large Hydra. The robot let out gusts of light as its machinery was pulled apart and pulled into the Void, letting out something resembling a scream of pain before it simply exploded into itself and fell to the ground.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Deia gingerly stepped out from cover, kicking a dead Goblin with her foot. "Hey, you're pretty good. I knew you could do it." She spun her two guns into her holsters, the well-worn leather accepting the two barrels with ease. After all that, she still seemed haughty- as if something was still bothering her, as if she had a rock constantly stuck in her boot. "Now what did we learn? Don't piss off the Vex, when they've terraformed more than 92% of the planet you're on. I'm vaguely convinced that the trees and rocks are made of Vex, as well." 

The girl patted off some dust from the shoulder pad that had been grazed; the mark added to yet another scar on the once-perfect armor. It was apparent that she had not been on a resupply to the Tower in months, with bits of cloth where Kevlar should be, and multiple pieces of Vex tech comprising her helmet and the back of her chest armor. Two bandoliers hung from her belt, similar to Orpheus Rig's quiver, but instead holding two old revolver holsters- these revolvers had been retrofit to accept Guardian-standard ammo cartridges, easily synthesized by a Ghost. All in all, she gave off an air of impatience, but quiet danger as well; one would call it desperation, judging by the look of her armor. She crossed her arms, beholding the Warlock in front of her, biting her tongue before she said something else. Anyone could see how upset she was that she had to come out of her hiding spot, to help a fellow Guardian that she had heard enough about, from a certain Exo. 

A Ghost appeared next to the girl, hurriedly floating in front of the Hunter. It was a small shell, spherical, and it spoke in a posh British accent, a male voice: "I'm, uh, terrible sorry, Deia here doesn't play well with others, we'll get out of your hair right away, Miss.....?"

Vax fell to the ground weakly, legs shaking so she just kneeled down, swallowing thickly as she stared at the vortex. She was trembling again, fingers twitching nervously as she sat back, eyes pressed close. She only vaguely understood what the Hunter was saying, nitpicking. Being an ass about the whole ordeal. But overall she didn't matter, all that mattered to the Warlock was the connection she had with Levi, she must be one of the friends he brought back from the past, and she was awful, Vax hated her with every fiber of her being. Had it not been her shitty personality it'd been because of her connection with that Warlock she had liked so much. 

Ghost appeared and floated behind Vax, sounding worried for its Guardian. "Vax. I'm Ghost. You -" it glanced back at the shaking Warlock, then back to the Hunter. "You're with himaren't you?" it asked quietly, almost apprehensively. It stayed close to Vax, as if to protect her from the Hunter and soothe her with its Light. 

Vax reached for her hand cannon lying on the ground, clutching the weapon as if her life depended on it, slowly crawling up back to a stand. She had not anticipated this happening, she'd just wanted to stop an assault from happening. The Void vortex died down slowly, dissipating, as Vax just stared at it. And then she knew what she wanted. She finally turned to look at Deia, glad her helmet was hiding her face. "Where is he." it wasn't a question, it was more so an order, demanding to know where he was, her voice firm. Arc energy was crackling all over her shoulders, gathering in her hands, as if she could throw a grenade anytime.

"Wow, you really didtake it badly." Beneath her helmet, Deia sighed. "He's here on Nessus, but if you think I'm going to tell you exactlywhere he is, you've got another thing coming." Deia shook her head, leaning on a tree to her back. "Listen, we've been here, quiet, on Nessus, for four months now. We've been keeping away from Vex, away from Fallen, and away from Guardians, especiallyfrom the one Guardian we don't want to find. We're subsiding on what we can scavenge, and what our Ghosts can make. It's a meager little life, and you have no idea how badly I could use a shower and a fresh set of gear. But we're doing it to keep out of the way. We're already supposed to be dead, the least we can do is keep from disrupting this timeline any further."

She kicked a rock with her foot, looking away. "Look, I'm sorry. But Levi left specific instructions. My brother and I don't really bother him a lot anymore- he bides his time, studying the Vex and meditating. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, anymore; least of all, the girl that he-" She cut herself off. "Do yourself a favor, and go home, take a bath, and forget this happened. We're not supposed to exist, and as far as the Vanguard knows, there's only one AWOL Guardian on Nessus, not three. We take care of Vex and Fallen threats to Failsafe and other Golden Age tech, but we don't want to be noticed."

"So put your Arc away, and get away from here." Deia looked back to Vax, resting a hand on a revolver.

Vax looked at Deia silently, jaw aching from the tension she put on it. She refused to just run, as if she hadn't run into this Hunter, the thought of it angered her. She let out a huff, cocking her head. "I'm not going away. You obviously still contact him," she started then, voice firm and clear, as if talking to her subordinate. "Tell that asshole of an Exo that I'll be waiting at the lake. He'll know which one," she put her hand cannon away, but the Arc didn't dissipate, crackling around her in the air. "I may not like you, but I have no intention of fighting you. I'll be waiting three days and it's up to him to come see me or not. If he doesn't, he may as well go rot in the Radiolaran lake I saved him from," she spat, reaching out to grab Ghost and pulling it close to her, dematerializing it. "Have a good day."

She turned on her feet and walked away firmly, an angry frown on her face. She really detested Deia, but at least she was useful to bring this information across. She had thought about it for a long time, would she want to see him again, and the answer had never changed: yes. She was still angry at him, fuming even, but she refused to let it control her any longer. She was sick of being triggered every time she was even thinking about using the Void, to being weak in her whole body after using it. Meeting again at where they had met so many months before felt fitting, and truth be told was half the reason she was on Nessus at all. She had been looking for him, but not actively. Perhaps she had hoped to catch a glimpse of his robes, or his matte black prosthesis.

She balled her fist at the thought, ever still that love-sick schoolgirl behind her hardened exterior, she could hardly help it. She missed him, and perhaps that's why she offered him the chance to talk about it, to fix this. The Warlock transmatted herself into her ship and flew towards where the crash had happened months ago, appearing back on the surface of Nessus as she stood there, Arc energy finally calming down. She walked over to where she had first been sitting and sat down, legs crossed. 

She'll be waiting.

A voice, softly, sounded from the trees. It was thrown from the dense bush, and it seemed to echo off the lake, from all sides. "You're here." Levi sat in an area of trees directly adjacent from Vax, hidden in the middle of a patch of red ferns. "And... you shouldn't be." He paused, speaking carefully, slowly. His voice was somber. "I'm just going to hurt you again, like I hurt everyone else I'm around. I've come here to live in solitude, to keep out of everyone's hair. I'm a curse, and this body is cursed." He looked down at his hands. The Warlock was dressed down a bit, forgoing most of the armor that he had, instead only having his researcher robes and other simple clothing on. He had no left sleeve, and his helmet was at his base. A simple sidearm (a Traveler's Chosen) was at his side, as he sit in hiding. 

"You have every right to be angry, but you have no right to change what has happened. I just wish you understood the things I said and did. Time is a fickle plaything, Vax, and I've committed a heinous act to it. The bill comes due; I'll have to pay up someday. And I don't want you there when I have to. So speak; ask your questions, and do not linger." He sighed.

"I've hurt you. But I'm not going to hurt you anymore. It's out of your hands." Under the bush, small iota of Void sparked betwixt his fingers. 

Rain began to fall, a light sprinkle that wet the trees and made ripples in the Radiolarian lake; steam rising off it as the electricity evaporated the water.

Vax stood up swiftly, something about his voice made her feel something, but she refused to pay attention to it as she summoned Ghost and let it free, had it scan for Levi as she spoke. “So. Hiding away and feeling sad for yourself?” her voice was stoic with an edge of anger, hands balled into fists. “Sounds an awful lot like you got back to being a hermit crab, definitely worth it huh?” she couldn’t stop the venom in her voice, her hands trembling. She was still so unbelievably angry at him, but she could also feel a spark of just sadness bubbling up inside her. She paid no attention to it. “I have no intention of changing what happened, unlike some others I do not meddle with time,” she walked forward a few steps. “And if you want to know, I never did tell the Vanguard. And since you never did you’re considered missing in action,” she eyed as Ghost flew around silently. 

“You don’t want to hurt me anymore. Pity that you already did after I fell in love with you, makes it harder to let go,” she had finally said the words she’d been thinking since they had separated. “You really thought I wouldn’t eventually look for you?” she eyed as Ghost finally signalled her, and she walked over to Levi’s hiding spot, pulling her helmet off as she did, having it transmatted away. She reached the Exo and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him up to his feet as she just looked at him. 

He looked awful is what it came down to. Just like Deia he looked like he had had to scrap everything together, looking like a big mess in doing so. “I want you to look in my eyes and see, see what you’ve done,” her eyes were glistening with angry tears, the rain drizzling down onto the two Guardians. “You fucked me up, and I hateyou for that,” she threw Levi to the ground, stepping back and turning her back to him

She still liked him, she couldn’t deny it. She still wanted to be with him, stargaze with him, and eat awful noodles in the City. Her anger was overruling these feelings however, body shaking.

He didn't. He couldn't. Levi refused to look in her eyes, refused to acknowledge that he had cause more pain to an already hurt individual. The Exo stayed where he was, adjusting his position at her feet, looking down still. His back was hunched, his hands were empty. "You didn't see what I saw. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. What I looked at, in the Gate. It's why I came here, to get away from everyone else." He clenched his fists, tears falling into the dirt. "You're right. I do feel sad for myself. I feel sad for us. You don't know what we could've been, if I didn't do what I did. I saw it. I saw the places we visited, the people we met, the-" He got choked up, biting past a sob. "-the house we had. I saw it all, but I made a promise, and I don't break my promises. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but you have to believe me, I never factored you into anything, I would have gone without you into the Vault, it would have just taken longer. I didn't use you. I legitimately wanted you there to be with me, not because you were part of any master plan, or any evil plot. You don't even have to believe me, but I'm telling you the truth. So please, just leave me be. Leave me to fucking rot, here. Leave me to studies and solitude and what have you, but I saved two lives, and I would do it again."

His fingers dug into the soil, as he crouched there, on all fours, only a foot away from where Vax stood. "You weren't part of my plan. You were an amazing girl who pulled me out of a lake, who was in the wrong place, at the long time. You should have left me, Vax."

Before Levi could say anything else, a Titan transmatted 10 feet or so to their right, standing on a fallen log, brandishing a minigun that was fed rounds from his chestpiece. Noct, his helmet on. "You heard the man, Warlock. Leave, and let us stay in peace. I'm not going to ask twice."

Levi didn't move.

Vax clenched her jaw as she listened to his words, perhaps realising for the first time that he had been true with his words all along. He may have lied to her about his friends, but - he wasn’t lying about this. She breathed out a shaky sigh, an airy laugh. “Traveler be damned,” she grumbled, hands forced into fists by her side. She could feel Void bubbling up angrily, but she tried so hard to will it down, turning back to look at Levi and then the Titan. “What, you’re gonna let him die in his own self pity?” she vaguely waved a hand down at Levi, huffing. 

She couldn’t fucking believe this, this squad was getting on her nerves. She didn’t care about any of them, all she was here for was Levi, yet they kept being a pain in the ass. “I really don’t care about what threatening things you’re gonna do to me. You and that Hunter are annoying as hell and not what I came here for,” she glanced at the Titan and then ducked down, grabbing Levi and pulling him back up to his feet. “You look pathetic like that,” she murmured, an annoyed frown on her face. “I’m still livid but- did it not cross your mind oncethat perhaps I’m here because I want to fix this whole fucking thing? And you call yourself a Warlock,” she grumbled, but her voice had a softer edge to it now. The anger was still there, but she needed him to realise now that she wanted him back, despite his lies, despite his problems, and despite that annoying fireteam. 

She sighed, closing her eyes as she looked down for a moment, burying the anger down as she had done before, now was not the time. She opened her eyes again and moved a hand to grab hold of Levi’s prosthesis one, gently holding it. “So please.” she whispered, her free hand joining the other, holding onto Levi’s hand.

That Hunterstepped out of the trees, right behind her brother. Thankfully, she was silent.

Levi finally looked Vax in the eyes, wiping his face. "There's nothing to fix, Vax. You made it sound like you never want to see me again. Like we're done. Like you want to forget I exist. Why do you try? I'm done, I've done my job, and what's worse, we're in trouble the second we step foot in the tower. Ikora Rey isn't stupid; as soon as she sees two Guardians where there shouldn't be any, it's over. It's pathetic, you're right. I'mpathetic. Wasting away here, barely living. I read through Vex files for days on end. Such is my exile."

Despite his words, he squeezed her hand, and rested his head against hers. "I'm... sorry. I can say it a million times, and it wouldn't be enough. Just... I treated you like a princess when I should have respected you like a queen. There's no excuse in the universe that is enough justification for what I put you through. You said it yourself. You hate me. I can't fix that, now can I?" Levi turned away, letting go of her hand. "The only thing I'm good at is getting into more trouble. If you want to have a real talk about this..." 

Levi flashed a look at the other two, and one could tell that Deia was rolling her eyes (even under her helmet), pulling her brother away into the forest. 

"...If you want to have a real talk about this, let's go to my cabin. I've got a kettle on."

“I mean... I did, I- I do, I’m angry, but...” she sighed, the rain blowing around them as she looked at the Exo’s back. “I wanted to punch you just now, when I picked you up, and that would’ve been that. But you weren’t wearing a helmet and I didn’t want to break your face,” she admitted softly, wiping some wet hair out of her face. “So yes, I - I hate you for what you did but I, I had time. Time to think about it all, and every time I thought about you I was mostly just sad that you were gone,” she swallowed. She still hadn’t expected to actually meet Levi again today, she had really thought he would never show back up in her life, and yet here he was. 

She breathed out a bit. “Anger doesn’t suit me the same way sadness doesn’t suit you,” she said softly, gently, trying to show him she was sincere. “The anger will fade for me, I can only hope that with that your sadness will, too,” she nervously fiddled her fingers over her robes, swallowing thickly. 

“So uh- yeah, let’s get to your cabin and talk. I think it’s time.” she nodded, walking forward a bit, closer to Levi, and gently touching his back, for just a moment. She didn’t know why, all she knew was that she just wanted to be with him again, have those talks about nothing again. And maybe- now with Noct and Deia back, he could finally truly rest for a while.

"I think I'm tougher than I look, Vax. I could maybe take, eh, three punches." Was that a joke? Traveler, I shouldn't be cracking a joke to her. I wouldn't blame her if she walked away right now.Levi brushed himself off, dust scattering from his robes. He gestured to a light path between the trees, which led to a cliffside, multiple natural caves lining the inside of the cliff face. "Bottom left cave. We've got a couple rooms and houses set up. Had to scrap my ship to build them; but they're just as nice as something you'd find back home. Indoor plumbing and all. We've had some peace and quiet for a while now." 

The Exo led them between the trees to the large cave, where four small rooms sat just beyond the cave entrance. They were self-contained: one had an open window, a kettle boiling on a small stove, and multitudes of books and data files lined the shelves inside. A simple sleeping mat was on the floor, surrounded by some blankets; the Graviton Lance was hung above the door. The second of the units held an unhealthy amount of guns, around a bed and a fridge for food. Auto Rifles primarily, they all looked scavenged from multiple places on Nessus and the surrounding planets. The third of the units was a mess: instant noodle bowls and drink cans lined the floor, as well as a desk that was full of anime cases and manga books. A hammock was strung near the ceiling. The fourth was a simple storage shed; multiple crates of food and ammunition were packed in to the sheet metal walls. The four rooms faced a smoldering campfire, which had been hurriedly put out as someone left.

Levi sighed. "It's not much, but it's home." He opened the door to the first unit, and a small table folded out of a wall. He pulled up two chairs, and two mugs filled with tea leaves. He then crossed the room, grabbing the steaming kettle, and he filled the two mugs to the brim, the water turning a dark red. "If you're hungry, I can make you something, although we don't have the most diverse menu."

Vax let out an involuntary snort, chuckling a bit. "I can punch as hard as a Titan, and I'll have you know Blü broke her gauntlets punching Shaxx in their battle," she grinned, sitting down on the chair. She looked around the cave, hands wrapping around the cup. It was certainly... something. "You've - been here since Mercury?" she wondered on a whisper, frowning. This place positively looked like a garbage belt, she understood why everything was here but the way it had been organised made it look... disorganised, not everything that was lying around was needed for the Guardians to survive after all. 

The Warlock let out a breath, a guilty shake of her hands wavering the cup for a moment. She hadn't really thought about the way of living Levi and his friends had had to make for themselves, but seeing this - it made her feel guilty, even though in the back of her mind she knew it's what they deserved. She clenched her jaw, looking down at her tea. "Thank you, but I'm good on food," she murmured, wiping some hair out her face. She twiddled her fingers over the cup, silent for a moment. "Levi, I - I'm sorry," she then spoke up, looking up to the Warlock. "I should have helped come up with more solutions, but," she sighed in defeat. "You did lie to me about them. And I understand that, I really do, I think that's maybe why I'm so angry about it," she clenched her hands around her cup tightly, pursing her lips. "I'm done being angry about it, though. I just- want you back," the Awoken then admitted, softly. "I can figure something out with Ikora, after everything she should at least consider what I have to say."

The disheveled Warlock leaned against the wall the table was on, taking a sip of tea. "Since Mercury. We took the long way 'round- avoided Earth's orbit, Warsat distribution, Vanguard satellites. Almost a week in space. By the time we got here, it was all we could do to scavenge enough transmattable matter for food. Our Ghosts worked nonstop. But, we managed to have a few things that made life bearable, here. Noct found his guns to play with, Deia began to practice her gunplay and read up on some old Earth comics. Failsafe has been pretty bearable as well, she's been telling us where little bits of supplies are that belonged to passengers she didn't care about." Levi sighed, looking tired. "I've been studying more Vex tech. I've got a lot of research that could be useful; things like weapon synthesis, Vex hive mind directives."

He took another sip of tea, sitting down at the small table, directly across from Vax. "I didn't think you would be able to forgive me. Hell, I still don't think you shouldforgive me. There was no other solution. They either were coming back that way, or they weren't." His left hand wasn't twitching at all, in fact it hadn't since Vax met back up with Levi. He looked down into his mug, studying the floating bits of leaves. "I want you back, too. But we might not be able to be back together, once we come home and face the music. I'd imagine Saladin isn't too keen on you even talking to me. And no amount of good words can save me from a Vanguard house arrest for the rest of my days."

He took her hands in his. "But I'm willing to try, if it means being around you again. You gotta promise me you're gonna visit me in prison." He said in a joking tone, lighter than he had been speaking.

Vax moved a hand to gently caress over Levi's, sighing softly as she just looked down at their entwined hands. His hands felt unfamiliar after so long, and she didn't like it, squeezing his hands between hers. "For a long time I didn't wantto forgive you, you hurt me. But - I slowly understood why you did what you did, and that made it hard not to. I'd give anything to have Eris back, you know?" she sighed, fingers fiddling a bit with Levi's. "And frankly, I don't care if you think I shouldn't forgive you. I want you back," she looked into Levi's eyes, then away. "It's hard to imagine what Ikora would do. I don't think the Vanguard will take it lightly that you brought people back from the dead, but so far it hasn't caused any timeline changes," she murmured, letting out a quiet hum as she pursed her lips. "This should help our cause, I'm sure. Ikora can never resist that fact, no matter what she says," she nodded firmly, a small smile on her face. "We'll get you and your friends to the Tower, whether you want it or not," she sat back decidedly, sipping her tea.

"And Saladin is not that bad, he - he was reasonably upset to say the least," she sighed, looking down. "But he trusts me and my judgement so if I decide to want you again, he won't say anything. He's a sweetheart, really," she smiled softly, looking back at Levi. "We're gonna find a solution for this, I promise."

Levi sighed, looking away, an uncomfortable look on his face. He wasn't accustomed to letting other people decide his future- and especially not without a fight. But he gave up a smile, looking back to Vax, finally managing to look her in the eyes. "Alright, I owe it to you to try it your way. Whatever you think is best. And I mean it this time." His eyes looked tired, and it was obvious he was willing to try something else. "I want you back too. Even if I don't deserve you back, if you want to try, I'll try." Levi tried to layer his voice with calm, trying to speak slowly, trying to avoid anything that might make Vax uncomfortable. 

"However, I do have to correct you... like I said earlier, there were some timeline changes. At least, the number of possible realities where, from what I could tell, we were able to lead a peaceful life. My decision's going to make life a bit hard for the both of us, but to what degree remains to be seen. Hopefully it's something like 'Oh no, the Vanguard denied my housing request to move to your flooooor!'" He said the last sentence in a spookyvoice, trying to joke about it. "I'm sure you're familiar with Multiverse theory... Guardians make their own fate. Our future isn't set, thank the Traveler, so thankfully our timeline doesn't seem to be majorly affected by a small change like mine.”

"So, we'll come back. But you have to promise me, that you won't be too hard on Noct and Deia. They are loyal to me, and trust me, they've had to come to terms that they may not belong here."

A small smile graced Vax’ face, the Warlock humming a bit as she nodded. “I meant more like, get you access back to the Tower. I know you prefer the City, so let’s try and get you there,” she eyed at Levi, then sat back a bit. “I’m not being hard on them, they need to stay out of my business and not be so condescending, then we won’t have a problem,” she shrugged, sipping her tea. In her wanting to find Levi she had forgotten what they meant to him, she had been rude to them when perhaps she shouldn’t have been. “I’m- sorry though, they were just not really helping my already sour mood,” she looked away from the Warlock in front of her, in thought. 

“I- can talk to Ikora, I will. I’m tempted to radio her right now but perhaps I should do it in person,” Vax started getting up, setting her cup down. “I’ll put in a good word for Noct and Deia too, I think that’s the least I could do. Oh, also, Osiris messaged me a few hours after - that. He knew what we’d done and lectured me about the problems so. Next time we’re on Mercury he may give you a talking to as well,” she dusted off her robes a bit, grabbing her hand cannon in preparation of going. She was about to walk away when she turned back to Levi. “I’m- I’m glad I found you.” she then spoke softly, sincere in her voice.

"I'm glad you found me, too. And from now on, I'll be less stubborn. Maybe it's time to be a good soldier again, huh?" Levi grabbed a satchel with a couple of data pads in it, as well as retrieving his Graviton Lance form the wall. "I'm going to let Noct and Deia stay here, and I'll send them a message when it's safe for them to come back. Besides, it doesn't seem like you're too fond of Deia, and I don't blame you, she's a little rough around the edges." The Exo cracked his neck, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm ready, Vax. I'm ready to be here, for you, again. To be a part of Humanity again. I suppose I owe the universe a favor, anyways." 

Everything Levi had done, and everything his thoughts had been telling him before Vax had showed up, was screaming at him, in his psyche.Don't go. You're just going to hurt her again. Like you hurt Noct and Deia. Like you keep hurting anyone and everyone.

He stopped for a moment, right after the two had walked out the door. "Vax, just... just promise me, if I start going on a road you don't to follow, call me out, or make me stop. I don't want to follow such a destructive path anymore. You're much too important for me to screw this up again."

Vax clambered out of the cave, squinting a bit against the daylight as she called for her ship, sitting down on a ledge. She patted on the empty space next to her, inviting Levi to sit with her. Somewhere deep inside her there was still anger bubbling inside her, but she couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to it, she just wanted to make sure Levi could return safe and sound. And his friends, of course. 

She gently put her hand on Levi’s, squeezing it. “I will, Levi. This time I’ll let you know right away what I think, I was foolish for not doing so from the start,” she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I’m ready to do it better, though. To really spend time with you without having to worry about what may actually be going on. And to be honest, I still don’t quite get dancing,” she teased fondly, smiling at the Exo next to her. “On a more serious note, though. I know you don’t quite like the Guardian life, but we could use you. You and I are on the same level with power, if I’m useful to the City, so will you be,” she smiled at Levi, almost hopeful. “I’ve always gone out on my own, I’d love to finally go out with somebody else, how about you?” she looked out over the Nessus landscape, the wind blowing around them and the trees. 

Her ship approached with a heavy hum, hovering a bit above the two Guardians.

Levi snorted, before they transmatted into the ship. "You're much more powerful than I am, do you know how worked up I had to get before I whipped that Nova Bomb at the Cabal? I guess we were lucky you were in trouble, after all." He joked, stowing his rifle before they dissolved into the ship, where the Exo took the small seat behind the main pilot's chair, curling up in the small space. 

"But anything we do together, I'm looking forward to. It was just a little boring, and lonely on Nessus. Maybe we could go swimming together, find a pool on the Tower late at night or something." Levi took his helmet off, leaning his head back against the bulk of the cockpit. He already seemed more at ease, his body movement become softer, and more relaxed. "Although there is one other thing... my apartment was probably evicted after a couple of months of no contact... I'm going to need a place to stay... do you think I could crash at your place for a bit?"

Vax chuckled a bit, sitting herself down in the pilot seat and setting out the course. “That may have been the case, you were glowing, I’d never seen that before, it was both awesome and terrifying to see. I’m glad I’m not your enemy,” she hummed softly, her ship thrusting itself onto space before entering hyperspace, the cockpit stabilising. She stood up and walked to the back, rummaging through her cupboard before grabbing some water and tossing one bottle to Levi. “Of course. I’ll kick Saladin out for the time being,” she grinned at the Exo, her stomach making a jump at the notion. 

She tucked some hair behind her ear, sipping from her water. “You can probably arrange something with whoever you got the apartment from,” she tapped on the screen above her, pulling it towards her before rotating it so Levi could see it. “These are the free apartments in the City. For the integration of Guardians with civilians Hawthorne requested a database of free houses to be made, that way Guardians could choose to live in the City and mingle with the civilians,” she walked back to the pilot seat, sitting down. “You should see if your old one is still available. You can also ask for an appointment with whoever owns it currently. It’s a great database.”

"That's not a bad idea, but I was thinking I could get a place in the Tower. Maybe room with someone else, I don't know. It would be nice to be closer to you." Levi drank the water, wincing a little from the cold of it. Nessus was a warm, humid planet- he hadn't had a cold beverage in many a week. "You've been with Saladin for a long time, and I know he's important to you. I can just crash on a bench or something, you don't have to ask him to leave. But maybe.... If you did have an extra room, I could cook for us occasionally... grow herbs and vegetables on your porch... just a thought. And I would be moving in as a fellow Guardian, not your boyfriend, I'm sure it might be a tad too early for me to move in but I was thinking about fun things tot ry and it's not like we're in a rush to do anything but then again-"

Levi trailed off again, but stopped himself. "I know you have one of the biggest lofts a Guardian can have. If you have the extra room, it might be easier for me to move in. I don't have many things, and I can stay out of the way. Plus, you could keep an eye on me, then."

"It's just an idea, and you could just say 'Shut up, Levi' and I'll never mention it again. But it's one of the things I thought about it we ever found each other, again."

Vax smiled a bit at Levi’s words, his stammering somehow adorable to her. “I do have an extra room, yes,” she spoke, her ship exiting hyperspace with a burst of energy, the Warlock bracing herself a bit against the console. “I think right now I set it up as just a seating area, but we can order an extra bed for you, sure. Let’s just hope Ikora won’t be too hard on you, I think I already gave you enough. And you gave yourself enough too,” she looked back at Levi with a half-apologetic smile. She steered them towards the City, flying through the clouds. “Must feel good to be back home I’d imagine, if onlt a bit,” she said gently, the air pressure in the ship stabilising as she flew it into the hangar and set it down, turning off the engine. 

She transmatted them out and stretched. “Here we are. Ikora probably already noticed your signal over the comms, so any moment-“ she got interrupted by Ghost signalling a transmission, and she pulled it out. Ikora’s voice came out over the comms. “Vax. Get to the Vanguard halls please, and bring him with you.” she signed off, and Vax sighed. “Well, you heard her. It’s time,” she smiled a bit at Levi, almost nervously. She walked over to the new Vanguard halls, Ikora standing there with her back turned to the Warlocks. 

“Levithan-13, how nice of you to join us again,” she said calmly, tapping away on her datapad before turning around. “Explain.”

"Simple." Levi said the following sentence calmly and quietly, because saying it in any other way would probably just get him into more trouble. "I broke the laws of space and time to bring my dead friends back to life using a Simulant Vault of Glass in the Infinite Forest, something that probably can't be undone or replicated for quite some time. I'm not going to apologize, but I accept any consequences that may come unto me, with the request that they only come to me and not my Fireteam."

This Levi was... different. He had obviously had some time to think about his actions while in his exile, and his disdain for the Vanguard was obviously still there: but he knew what he did. He was a cornered wolf no longer- he was more like a proud cat, staring out a window, ready for what the world could throw at it. His desperation was still there, but it wasn't the main factor of his personality any more. Now his true, smarmy but caring self could show through. 

"I think it was you who said the Void is not bound by the laws of Space and Time, Mentor. Well, neither am I."

Ikora let out a soft hum, a small approving smile on her face. "I see," she was quiet for a moment more, looking down at her datapad as she tapped on it a few times, probably updating any files they had on Levi. "So, to make sure I understand," she looked back up to Levi, head cocked back a bit, obviously asserting her role as Vanguard in front of the two Warlocks. "You used highly experimental technology, technology we have not yet been able to study properly, to travel through time, unsure if you were able to return, to bring back two certain Guardians called Noct and Deia," she put emphasis on their names, swiping on her datapad. "Whomst are currently residing on Nessus, where you resided for four months as well," she smiled strictly at Levi, no warmth in her eyes. "And you helped," she eyed Vax, shaking her head ever so slightly. She put her datapad down on the table, crossing her arms behind her back.

"You understand the magnitude of what you've done, perhaps there have been many timeline changes we are unaware of, but surely, you would have kept that in mind," she stared down at Levi, raising an eyebrow almost questioningly. "Nonetheless, what is done can not be undone, not always," she pursed her lips. "As a fellow Warlock I applaud what you did, it is impressive to say the least. But as your Vanguard I am afraid I will have to show you that this can not be done without consequences," she was silent for a moment as she thought. "Levithan, you will be under house arrest with Vax' supervision. You are not permitted to leave the Tower without her with you, I hope this will teach you the value of your fellow Guardians. In case this is also your punishment," she looked at Vax briefly before looking back at Levi. "You will also be forced to follow the basic Guardian training with Iron Lord Saladin, beginning tomorrow. As for Noct and Deia, they will be allowed back to the Tower given that they will also follow the training, they have missed quite a lot. Dismissed." she turned her back to the Warlocks, grabbing her datapad once again and starting to tap on it.

Vax blinked, opening her mouth but then closing it again. "Yes, ma'am," she nodded, taking Levi by his arm and turning them around, walking away from the Vanguard and towards her room. "That - isn't too bad, right?" she said hopefully, looking at the Exo next to her.

As Levi listened to his boss speak, he couldn't help but sense a bit of pride in her voice. Not approval- he was sure that Ikora would end him, personally, if he did it again. But at least a little bit of admiration sprang from the scolding, after all Levi was a Warlock; and Warlocks are meant to break the rules of the universe. He continued to listen, and as soon as he received his punishments, he clenched his fists, but bit his tongue. Even to his own surprise, he did not speak a word until Vax pulled him away. And when he did, it was calm and collected, just somber. 

"They sent me to my room, Vax, because I was playing with toys that weren't mine to play with." Levi chuckled, taking her hand as they walked. "I mean, she could have done worse things. I'm glad I get to be babysat by you, of all people. And to be fair, you didn't help me, I hope she's not going to put a mark on your record." Levi pulled his helmet off, transmatting it away. "And now, I have a bigger excuse to stay with you."

They walked for a little bit more, until Levi did a double-take. "Wait, did she say I have to do training with Saladin? Saladin?"

"But I'm at least glad Ikora could see why I did, what I did. Couldn't say the same for McStabby or WallHead."

Vax hummed softly, entwining her fingers with Levi’s as she leaned against him ever so slightly. “Well... I do think she picked out a fair punishment. You didn’t alter the timeline too much and you obviously know you did something bad, and I’m pretty sure that helped soften up Ikora,” she squeezed Levi’s hand, a gentle and assuring squeeze. “Saladin will- it should be fine. You’ll have Noct and Deia with you,” she nodded a bit, as if to mostly assure herself of that fact. “I know he can be rough and all, and he probably will be to you, but he just... wants to see what you’re made of I guess,” the Warlock shrugged, walking them to her apartment. 

“He’s probably been briefed already, so he should know we’re incoming. Assuming he’s not on a mission,” she took a breath as she opened her door, suddenly nervous. “Sorry,” she muttered, before opening the door. 

Saladin looked up from the desk, a ton of datapads in front of him showing various graphs, images, and videos. “Vax,” a soft smile appeared on his face as the Titan took off his reading glasses, looking at the Warlock who entered the room. “And entourage,” he eyed Levi, then made a small “ah” sound as he realised who the Exo was. “Levi,” he stood up and extended a hand, nodding. “Nice to meet you, I haven’t seen you much around the Tower during Iron Banner.”

Vax huffed at Saladin. “As if. You know I barely play, let alone him.” she went into the bathroom to change her clothes.

Levi shook the Titan's hand hesitantly, with the exact thought of he's not bashing my head through a wallrunning through the Warlock's mind. All of a sudden, he felt... small, not just physically (the Iron Lord was at least a couple of inches taller and wider than him), but spiritually as well. This man probably took better care of Vax; he DEFINITELY was a stronger Guardian; hell, at the time, he was even better dressed. Levi swallowed as their hands released. 

"I haven't been one for Crucible. Vex move differently from Guardians; I find better practice in studying enemy troops, myself. I could try, but I haven't found the time." He tried to smile, trying to continue that conversation so hopefully the fact that he recently committed treason wouldn't come up. Although something told Levi it just might. One doesn't easily forget that. 

I'll count my blessings, I half expected to be a pile of pulp by now.

"Besides, I've found some pretty nice spots around for Crucible arenas. Shaxx thinks a zero-g map on Callisto has some promise, all those craters make for interesting cliff edges and such." Levi stood patiently, waiting for Vax to come back. Should he take his shoes off...? Should he even leave the doorway...? 

Shelley giggled from inside his backpack. You're funny when you try to stall for time. She teased, from her private channel.

Saladin laughed heartedly, his demeanour completely different from when he was at his post for Iron Banner or the Iron Temple; you could call it relaxed and comfortable. “I can respect that, not every Guardian is meant for the Crucible. Vax is damned good at it, but she doesn’t like killing fellow Guardians,” he waved an arm inside the room, motioning for Levi to get in. “Come in, don’t just stay standing there. If you’re half of what Vax told me I wouldn’t have seen you as the awkward type,” he teased, a content look on his face as he sat back down on the chair at the desk, putting some datapads aside as he searched for a specific one. When he found it he grabbed it and tossed it to Levi. “There, bring that with you tomorrow for training. 9 am sharp, don’t forget your friends,” he hummed, leaning back in the chair. 

Vax walked out the bathroom in some casual clothes, stretching her arms before she moved to hug Saladin from behind, she hadn’t seen him in a few days while she’d been on Nessus. “Turned to business immediately, hm?” she murmured, eyeing the datapad in Levi’s hands. “Well,” she stood back up and sat on the bed, crossing her legs. “I’ll have to follow you around, so wherever you go, I go,” she looked at Levi, then at Saladin. “He’ll also have to stay in the apartment, but I was thinking we could refurnish the other room for that.”

Saladin nodded, looking at the Exo. “Sounds like a plan. I can organise some furniture for that purpose,” he grabbed another datapad and tapped on it a few times. “In the mean time, you’ll address me as Lord Saladin or sir when we’re outside, I don’t mind a bit of familiarity at home, but outside you’re still my subordinate.” he told Levi calmly, putting the datapad aside.

What do I call him then? Daddy Saladin?Levi tried not to laugh to himself, stowing the datapad as he removed his shoes before he walked in. "I'm sure whatever furnishings we can scrounge up would be fine, I don't need much in the way of things." He paused, thinking. "Maybe a bookshelf or two, would be nice. Other than that, I don't need much." The warlock sat adjacent to Vax and Saladin, on a chair, looking around. "This is a really nice place, I'm... grateful that I somewhere to come, like this." He folded his hands, still looking around at the room, studying little trinkets, furniture, anything that reminded him of Vax. 

Maybe this won't be too bad. I could... cooperate for once.

"I appreciate what you two are doing for me. I know I'm not an easy person to deal with, and so I apologize." Levi felt more out of place than ever.

Vax looked at Levi and smiled a bit. “Don’t fret it, Levi. It would be a while to find an apartment and with the house arrest,” she shrugged and got up, taking the datapad from Saladin and standing by him as she tapped away. “I’ll get the furniture here now, we should set up the room as soon as possible,” she hummed, putting a hand on Saladin’s shoulder as she gave it back to him. 

For the rest of the day the Guardians cleared out the room and put in the new furniture, and before they knew it it was late at night. But the room was all done. Vax wiped some sweat from her forehead, smiling a bit. “See, all done,” she put her hands on her hips, looking at the room contently before nodding and taking Saladin by his arm. “We’re going to bed, but feel free to tweak whatever you want in the room. It’s yours for now,” she smiled at Levi and then exited the room, closing the door behind them and turning off the lights of the main room.

Levi sighed, content with his little room. They had been able to put up some bookshelves, a desk, an armchair, and a bed, in addition to a closet. All in all, there were plenty of worse places to be under house arrest- and the prospect of spending more time with Vax made him feel alright. Even if Saladin was there, but Vax told him that the Iron Lord only stays for days at a time- so he would have plenty an occasion to be around the woman.

Levi yawned, curling up in his chair, reading a book. He had since changed into a pair of baggy sweatpants, not bothering with a shirt. A couple of hours went by, the night dwindling down, as the man simply read, enjoying the solitude. Fuck, I'm thirsty.He gave a little cough, putting a bookmark in the tome and rising, leaving the room to walk to the kitchen. "Glasses... glasses.. glasses..." He whispered under his breath, looking around the cupboards, until he looked towards Vax's room.

Vax was panting a bit, hands splayed on Saladin’s chest as he pushed up into her with a growl, his sturdy hands holding her hips tightly. “Q-quiet,” she whispered, biting her lips as she leaned back a bit, eyes closed. Her back was turned to Levi’s room, the faint moon light illuminating her and the Titan ever so slightly, enough to see what they were doing. 

The Titan huffed, moving a hand to Vax’ breasts and squeezing them, toying with her nipples. “Let him hear us,” he whispered, a wicked grin on his face. “He’s your boyfriend too, no?” he pounded up particularly hard, eliciting a gasp from the Warlock. “Fuck- Saladin,” she murmured, trying to stay quiet still. She moved her hands back to rest on his legs, arching her back as she rolled her hips around him, looking down at the Iron Lord beneath her. She halted a bit when she thought she heard movement, but then let out a whine as Saladin once again pushed up into her. “Don’t worry-“ he breathed, pulling Vax down for a hot and messy kiss, hands moving to grab hold of her ass.

Levi froze in place, carefully putting the cup he had just found back in the cupboard. A million thoughts flashed through his head in that moment- but three came to the front of the pack. First: I really, really shouldn't be here. Water can wait. Then, second: Vax is a fucking specimen. Traveler, she should really model or something.Then, finally, a third and last thought as he watched, lingering for just a moment before he left for his room. 

I wish that were me.

Levi returned to his room, closing the door as quietly as he could. The scene was fresh in his mind: the noises Vax made, the smell of their sex, the faint moonlight and ambient light of the City outside the window. It was intoxicating; Levi couldn't get the image out of his mind. He also felt a tightening of his pants; his body had noticed the scene as well, and the tent his love formed was a pretty big one. I can't believe that happened. The Warlock thought as he turned off the lights and stripped his pants off, going to lounge in the chair. Vax wasn't going to be the only one moaning tonight, and Levi stayed awake for another couple hours, tugging slowly at his cock..

It had been a few days, the Guardians going about by their business, Saladin training Levi and his friends with Vax hanging around, honouring her punishment as given by Ikora. They hadn’t gone on missions, instead Vax was spending her time helping around the Tower with tedious stuff and following Levi, and at her apartment she was reading through mission reports from other Guardians, something she enjoyed doing when she didn’t want to go on missions. 

It was sunset when Vax yawned and stretched, Saladin entering the apartment. “I have a mission for a few days, just got assigned to watch over the Iron Temple for a few days while Shiro and Cayde do Traveler knows what,” he sighed, gathering his armour from the closet. “I’ll let you know when I’ll be coming back. Training is postponed until afterwards, so for now you’re free the coming few days,” he told Levi, leaning down to briefly kiss Vax. “I love you. I’ll see you guys in a few days.” he waved to the two Warlocks and then walked out the door, the apartment growing silent once again. 

Vax huffed, standing up as she ordered the datapads. “Damn,” she murmured, putting the datapads she had reviewed already aside. “Well, guess it’s you and me,” she smiled at Levi, voice soft. “Been a while.”

"It has been a while. But as long as you're around in some way, I'm happy." Levi was washing the dishes from their dinner tonight (homemade pasta, thanks to the CookLock himself), running the things under the sink. He was wearing simple clothes; a pair of form-fitting grey pants, his usual hoodie, a couple of bracelets here and there. 

Levi yawned- it was getting late, even by his standards. "I think Saladin has been babysitting me more than you have, here." He joked, putting the rest of the dishes away in the kitchen. Something seemed a little different about him- his motions were careful, just a modicum more than normal. Levi looked at his girlfriend, leaning back into the counter, fiddling with a fork. "Hey, I was wondering... my room's getting a little lonely, is there any chance I could come sleep with you tonight? That night in the tent, it was nice. I kinda need some attention.", he admitted, rubbing his head. "Besides, I miss you. We've both been too busy to really spend more time together, right?"

Vax lowered the datapad she had been holding, looking at the Warlock leaned against the counter. She let out a soft sigh and nodded, walking over to Levi and wrapping her arms around him, nuzzling into his neck. "I think I'd like that, yeah," she hummed gently, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry I've been so distant, Levi, I've been caught up in Tower works and all that boring responsibility stuff, I miss you too," she gently pecked at his neck, just once, before pulling away, hands lingering at his neck for just a moment before she dropped them at her side, smiling at her boyfriend. "I don't like sleeping on my own, anyway, so I'll be happy to have you with me," she adjusted her sweater a bit, pulling it down over her shorts as she walked over to the desk, putting the datapad away. "I'm sick of going through these reports, too. So many Guardians don't really seem to know how to write them. Doesn't surprise me, we don't exactly get taught that stuff."

She walked over to the window, watching out over the City for a moment before looking back at Levi. "Tired already?" she teased, a small smile on her face. "I thought you always stayed up late, judging by the light that sometimes still shines at night." she shrugged.

"I mostly read, and a few other things. I don't like to waste the nighttime, it's way more peaceful then the world winds down." Levi shrugged. "And don't you worry about being busy. You're the career Guardian, I'd imagine you're going to be up for a Vanguard spot if Ikora ever steps down. Don't worry about me, I'll always be around." The Exo reached back, grabbing two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, and walked to where Vax stood, placing the ceramic piece in her hand. "Come on, bedtime. I'll help you finish the reports tomorrow. I'm sure listening to Edge's scouting reports over and over has to be boring. Let's drink some hot chocolate, and cuddle." 

Levi said all this in a soft tone, genuinely wanting to sleep. Traveler, I've missed her. I'm glad she's back in my life. For a moment, his eyes wondered to her collar of her sweater; it was painfully obvious she wasn't wearing a shirt. Levi forced his eyes back up, clearing his throat as he walked to her room, grabbing the Awoken's hand to pull her with him.

Vax hummed. "Makes sense, I always feel the same, too. But I don't always have something to do at night so usually sleep it is," she took the mug, nodding in thanks at Levi. "I'm not really interested in being the Vanguard anyway, I do quite like being off-world," she squeezed Levi's hand, walking over to the double bed and setting her mug down on the nightstand. "And yes, Edge is quite boring, all he's useful for at this point is nicking stuff from Cayde," she grinned, lying down with a sigh and stretching, her sweater curling up a bit, exposing some of her belly. 

She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the calm of the dawning night, the last rays of sun shining through her blinds. "Levi," she then started, opening her eyes and looking at the Exo. "I really appreciate what you've been doing. You've been very patient and calm, I know how antsy you can get without doing much, so - thank you, for trying." she reached for Levi's hand and pulled him down to her, smiling.

Levi smiled, setting his mug down as well, and he reclined next to Vax, putting his arm around her and kissing her neck, just once. It was a light spoon cuddle- and it was almost perfect, since they were the same height. "Anything for you, dear. I'm here to make a lot up to you. Sometimes that means changing your demeanor, cooking food. I just want to do the little things you don't have time for." He closed his eyes as well, resting his hand on her hip, the warm hand of his gently gripping where her hipbone pronounced her skin. 

"Do you want to hear a secret, Princess?" Levi spoke up after a moment of laying quietly. He traced a small circle on her hip with a finger, tracing the skin. "I may have seen you, the night I moved in. I was thirsty, and your door was open. I'm glad I didn't interrupt." He said this quietly, his heartbeat rising, his voice dripping in a smooth, almost velvety tone that Vax hadn't heard from him before.

Vax felt her cheeks heat up, a purple blush rising to her face. "You - saw us," she murmured, closing her eyes. "Oh geez," she moved her hands over to her face, embarrassed. His voice did somethingto her, the Warlock curling up a bit as she felt her stomach jolt, pressing her legs together as if to release some pressure. She bit her lips, lowering her hands slightly. "I - told him to be quiet," she murmured, not meeting Levi's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. It was a reflexive apology, as if the thought of Levi having seen them didn't turn her onin anyway. She was silent for a moment before she turned, glanced at Levi, with a certain look in her glowing blue eyes.

"What did you think?" she whispered, quietly, but definitely not quiet enough that he couldn't hear. While initially embarrassed, she couldn't help but be extremely turned on, Levi's smooth voice not helping her matters in any case. She moved her bum a bit backwards, to press more against Levi's body, perhaps inviting.

Levi felt Vax push against him. He knew. What he had been dreaming about, incessantly, for the past few days; it was finally becoming a reality. "I thought a lot of things." He whispered back, in her ear, quietly. "But I think, the most pervasive thought was 'Wow, I really wish that was me, instead of him.'. Oh well, I guess some things pass" He teased, but as he spoke his hand moved from her hip, down to her stomach, right above the waistband of her shorts. Levi, too, moved closer; his arm around Vax tightened, pulling her close, their bodies touching and rubbing against one another. 

"You know, I've been a Guardian for a while, and there's something I've always wanted to try, but I've never had the right partner for it..." His voice was just above silent, his hands firm. Little movements betrayed his cool- his hips bucked, ever so slightly. Vax could feel the beginnings of something growing, low. Levi seemed to tense up, as if pressure was building up in his body.

Vax let out a breath, biting her lips as Levi whispered into her ear. That voice. She gladly got pulled back into his body, the hand resting on her abdomen burningher skin. "Levi-" she whispered, seemingly out of breath. She swallowed thickly, a hand moving to rest on his hips, sliding to his bum as she pressed herself against that hardness a bit more, grinding her bum against it ever so slightly. "What - did you want to try?" she breathed, closing her eyes as she just enjoyed the moment. Anticipation was building into the suddenly static air, the room silent apart from the two whispering Guardians.

The sunlight finally faded, the darkness of the falling night taking over the room. Vax moved a leg back between Levi's, hooking herself against him as if to assure he wouldn't let her go. She felt a burning sensation right below Levi's hand, her breath seeming so hot. "I know I've been wanting to try something, too." she whispered lowly, voice filled with something resembling want. She moved her free hand to rest on Levi's, wanting to guide him down just that tiny bit more.

Levi couldn't wait any longer. He had waited long enough, and he was weirdly hungry. Not for food, but for a certain pleasure- a pleasure that had escaped him since he had been inducted as a Guardian. 

"Then let's try it, Princess." The small sentence was accompanied by a growl. Levi reached into her pants, gently touching into Vax's love, the mound feeling hot under his fingers. The Exo also pulled up Vax's sweater with his other hand, padded tips of his fingers dragging across her skin, touching everything and everything he could. Levi wanted more, he craved Vax's body, he was pulling her so close that it seemed like they would merge and become one person. He was fully hard, not even trying to hide it, the bulge in his pants tenting the fabric against Vax's ass, the heat from his body radiating out. He was a hungry animal; he didn't want to wait any longer, for the moment he had been dreaming about, since the two went swimming months ago. 

Small grunts and hard breaths accompanied his movement. He was ready.

Vax let out a small whine when his hand moved, and she leaned her head backwards against Levi, his fingers doing somethingthat was absolutely burning something inside her. Her hand on Levi's bum clamped together as the pleasure of him finally touching her overwhelmed her. "Levi," she breathed, eyes heavy lidded as she opened them. She moved her hips back against him once more, then back forward, grinding against his fingers and hips, seeking out the perfect balance between the two. Her free hand moved to clasp at his arm touching her all over, the Warlock letting out a moan as she squirmed under his touch. "Let me- let me help you," she whispered, turning her head to look at Levi.

The look in his eyes didn't help, the pure lust making her toes curl. "Damnit," she growled lowly, swallowing thickly as the hand on his bum started tugging at his pants, trying to drag them down and expose his twitching member. "Move- your hips up." she grumbled, biting her lips harshly when he did somethingwith his fingers.

Levi grunted, kissing at her neck as he removed the hand from her pants, sliding down his own, until they were off, and fallen to the floor. "Is this what you wanted?" The man's cock laid against the curves of her behind, pushing gently against the fabric. He teased her, giving a small bite to her neck. He didn't stop touching her with the arm that was around her, however, his hand went higher and found a breast, the soft mound underneath his hand. Levi squeezed, fingers over her nipple gently applying pressure. "You know, this might be easier if we just stripped all the way; something about wearing clothes around you makes me antsy." His words came at a low growl, as well, his hot breath warming her skin, as he didn't look up from her neck, kissing and biting more. 

With that last statement, Levi took a hold of her pants and stripped them roughly off of Vax, exposing both their lower halves to the air. His hand wandered to the soft flesh of her womanhood, again- his fingers began to split apart the intricate folds, tracing lines over the delicate opening.

Vax tilted her head to the side as Levi kissed her neck, eyeing the Exo as he undid his pants, exposing his cock. She bit her lips. "Fuck-" she murmured, squirming when he bit her neck and squeezed her breast, the Awoken letting out a soft moan. Before she could react to anything Levi had already pulled off her pants and was touching her again, his hands feeling magical. She moved a hand back between them, ghosting it over Levi's member as she ran her thumb over the tip, eyes closed as she swallowed thickly. "Clothes - are redundant," she breathed hotly, her free hand resting on Levi's moving hand. She wrapped her hand around Levi, moving up ever so slowly, almost teasingly, as she ground against his hand and back against his cock, moaning softly. "Levi- you're doing things to me." she whispered on a breath, moving her hand down abruptly on him. 

She pressed herself against Levi as much as possible, wanting to be closer, closer to him. "Fuck, I - fuck me." she growled, biting the inside of her cheek as she moved his member to press against her ass, slide between her cheeks if only a bit.

"I'm glad I'm doing things" He whispered back, before letting go of Vax for a moment, he ripped his hoodie off. The before the clothing fell to the floor, Levi had already stripped Vax's sweater, pushing it to the ground. There was a split second where Levi knelt there, looking at her body for just a moment, beholding the woman he was about to please- and just as fast, her embraced her again, pulling her to him hands running all over her; to her tits, down to her thighs, to her hips to pull her closer. He couldn't get enough of the Awoken girl. 

"Yeah? You want me to fuck you?" he whispered, barely able to keep his breath at an even pace. "Show me. Beg me. Let me take care of you." His cock had fallen in between her legs, and he was bucking his hips; the head of the member was rubbing against her, moisture of his precum adding to the wetness of her sex. "Do you want it?" He seemed to whine like a dog. Levi was hungry, still; he needed it. He needed to have Vax all to himself, to satisfy her and himself, to give in to the bestial pleasures that he's had for a while.

"Put it in for me, Princess."

Vax whined when Levi let go, almost needy of his touch on her. She watched Levi strip, eyes almost glazed over with just wantfor the Exo and his body, his passion. And his roughness. She exhaled a hot breath, biting her lips, as she let Levi explore her body, grinding against his cock, she needed him to just-. She swallowed, opening her eyes as she listened to Levi's smooth voice, his voice filled with similar want and eagerness as Vax imagined she had. "Y-yes, Levi," she groaned, leaning back against Levi heavily. "Please, please just-" she breathed, hand moving between them to grab hold of Levi, guide him to her. "I want you, please, fuck me," she whispered, biting her lips as she moved her hips down onto him, Levi sliding into her wetness slowly as the Awoken let out a small gasp. "Yes-" she breathed, a smile on her face as she closed her eyes and just breathed out in pure pleasure. "God I - I've been wanting this for so long." she rolled her hips against him, needing more, more. 

She moved an arm back to hold onto Levi's hips, the other supporting her head as she ground down onto him, the slick sounds of their hips coming together filling the room.

"This- this is amazing..." Levi instantly began to moan, little gasps and grunts escaping his mouth, like his body was betraying his true intentions. This was almost religious, this amazing union of the two. Levi began to thrust, keeping a gentle yet steady rhythm, the head of his cock gently pushing a teensy bit farther and father in each time. The wetness of Vax's pussy covered him, making it easier and easier each time. He placed a hand onto her hip, pulling her ass closer, wanting to find the best angle to please her. 

"I've been waiting for this-" He let out an ah!"-since we were at the lake. I've wanted to so bad.." The gentle slap. slap. slap. filled the room, heat rising from their bodies. The two seemed to glow, bed shaking. "I need you, Vax. Vax." He moaned her name into her ear, pushing into her, even pushing her down a bit. Levi was a fucking animal, and he was taking what he wanted- and all he wanted was Vax.

Vax whined as he thrust into her, eliciting small gasps from her, the Warlock seeming to shake from the pleasure, "T-Traveler, fuck," she gasped, hand grasping at Levi as he thrust up into her, her head leaned back against the Exo. "S-shit if I knew- Exo's had dicks-" she let out an airy chuckle, a blush of pleasure on her face as she let out a moan. Levi filled her up perfectly, his cock sliding in and out just right. "T-the lake," she started, free hand balling into a fist and clutching the sheets as he thrust up in thatway. "Fuck - ! The lake, was - amazing," she breathed, breasts bouncing up and down slightly as Levi moved her deeper onto his cock, eyes rolling back a bit. "We- should go there soon," she bit her lips harshly, the smell of sweat and sex filling her nose.

"Traveler I- I should have fucking-" she whined softly, her mind barely comprehensible enough to think of anything but Levi filling her up so deliciously, pounding into her and just taking her. All she needed was for him to just roll her over onto her belly and truly pound into her and she'd lose it. "I should have- fucked you earlier~" she gasped, breath coming out in shallow pants.

As if divine intervention, Levi took ahold of Vax's arms, rolling a little to mount her, and pin her to the bed. His hard cock, inside her, began to twitch and throb, only adding to Levi's pleasure as he took her. The exo rested his head in the crook of her neck, bed shaking as they continued, his moans reverberating through the room. "I- agree- this is- too good..." Levi's hands found her breasts again, squeezing them more firmly as his body pushed into her, fucking her like an animal, like her beast, not caring about anything else, not worrying about anything but himself and the woman he was making love to. He was past worrying about what they might think, or if it might be too much; nay, all he could focus on is the rhythm of their moans, the sensation, the bliss of filling her up like this. 

Her lover picked up the pace, bucking against her hips harder and faster. "Fuck, Vax, this is all I need- ahh!you're all I ever need- mmm!" Levi was vocal, bearing his soul before her, wanting nothing more to become one body, one mind.

Vax gasped, her heart making a jump as Levi rolled her over and pinned her down, the Warlock unable to properly move. "Oh- fuck, fuck-" she breathed, eyes half-shut and lids heavy as she looked up a bit, chin resting on the pillow. "Levi-" she whimpered, eyes rolling back as he started toying with her breasts again, his hot body pushed against her slick one, the sound of his hips slapping against hers filling the room. It was intoxicating and mind melting, his pace picking up. Without any ease she moved her hands next to her, barely supporting herself on them, body trembling. "You- are killing me-" she whined, moaning loudly.

Her thinking seemed to be blocked off, all that was left for her was her complete wantfor Levi to completely take her, pound into her and lose his mind. And she was close to having that. Her hands clutched onto the sheets, groaning. "In-inside me," she breathed hotly, eyes pressed close. "When you cum- inside me," she whispered hoarsely, moving an arm back to try and hold onto Levi's hips, needing him deeper.

Levi's pace quickened, and his dick seemed to get even harder as soon as he heard Vax say that. The notion of finishing inside her excited him primally, and he kept going hard, jackhammering into her. "As- you- wish- Princess- fuck!" Levi's body glowed with faint Light, as if his Super was going to go off (which it was, in a way.) "Vax... Vax.. Vax..." He moaned her name. He didn't care if the world ended tomorrow; this was his place, the only place he wanted to be, the only girl he wanted to be with, at least right now. He kept thrusting, their bodies going numb with pleasure, their need only growing bigger with each thrust. It was Heaven. 

His cock throbbed harder, and wetness dripped down both their thighs. "Vax... I'm- getting- there- I- FUCK!"

He grabbed her hips, shoving them down on his as Vax felt a flood of warm liquid inside her; it was much more than a Human or an Awoken, but not terribly so. Levi bucked and twitched, panting as his load filled her up, hands shaking with the fatigue of good sex.

Vax whimpered, gasping as Levi quickened. His dick hardened inside her even more and she felt a surge of excitement in her gut, biting her lips harshly. "Oh - Traveler," she moaned, her body shaking at every smack Levi pounded into her, her arms giving way and the Warlock dropping herself on the bed, eyes rolling back. "Oh~ fuck" she groaned then, body tightening around Levi as he pulled her hips against his and then unloaded into her, warmth spreading through her gut, a content feeling of fullness spreading through her as she just lied there, eyes heavy-lidded and panting, ass still in Levi's hands against his hips. She moaned softly, drowsiness overcoming her, but she swallowed, panting, as she sat up a bit, body shaking. "Holy - shit," she bit her lips when Levi twitched a bit inside her at her movement, and she couldn't help but grind a bit against him still. "Levi- I, I love you," she then breathed, closing her eyes with a smile on her face and a purple haze of a blush on her cheeks.

She didn't want to move, Levi inside her was too good a feeling, just the right amount of full, she wanted him inside her at all times. "Let's do this again sometime." she teased then, leaning heavily against the Exo.

Levi sat up a bit as well, panting, the Light that was making him glow slowly fading. He rested his head against hers, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I- I love you too, Vax. I'm glad we did this." He rested for a second, almost immobile, just panting. "I'm sorry I got so intense, that was really something." Levi's eyes were closed, and he just reveled in the aftersex, smiling as well. "But, yeah, I really do want to try this again. Show me this new world. And hey, it's definitely going to go by fast, huh?" His fingertips traced lines down her stomach as he moved his hands to her hips. "hold on" He warned, and pulled out slowly, plenty of weirdly luminescent cum dripping out of the woman. Levi giggled as it dripped onto the bedsheets. "I'm sorry for the mess.. let's lay down, huh?"

Vax bit her lips as Levi pulled out, almost sad to feel the sensation go. "Hang on, let me use the bathroom first," she whispered softly, getting up from the bed on shaky legs. She returned a few moments later, having cleaned herself up, with a wet cloth. She cleaned the sheets and then threw the cloth aside, lying down next to Levi with a smile. "I love you," she whispered once again, her cheeks ever still coloured a content purple. She grinned at Levi, cupping his cheek and gently turning his head so she could kiss him, a slow and languid kiss. 

She couldn't be happier. Everything was okay with Levi again, he was here to stay this time, and everything was good with Saladin as well. She chuckled softly. "Four months ago I though I'd never see you again," she hummed, following a specific line of Levi's torso with her hand, her skin ghosting over his. "And now... I'm happy, Levi. You make me happy," she whispered softly, nuzzling against the Exo lovingly. "Thank you for coming back. I know it wasn't easy for you, I know you've been struggling, but - you came back anyway. Thank you," she kissed at Levi's neck and collarbone, eyes closed. "I want you to stay, right here. Stay with me and Saladin as much as possible. I just want you with me at all times." she sighed contentedly, the moonlight outside filtering in through the blinds, lighting up the room ever so slightly.

"Hey, I love you too. I'm glad I make you happy, and I promise it hasn't been that hard to adjust."

Levi looked uncomfortable as he laid back down with her, holding her close as the night continued. "I promise, I'm going to try to. But I have some... interesting news." He sighed, playing with her hair a little bit. "I have just about two months, before the Vanguard send the Fireteam and I on a mission. Their exact words were "You are uniquely qualified for this mission, which will entail stealth, infiltration, and reconaissance." They went through a decent amount of other stuff, but that's all classified Above Top Secret, and I can't say anything about it. I tried to tell them I'd like to roll on missions with you for longer than a month, but they said I was the best pick, believe it or not. Something about "breaking the standard conventional rules in order to think in unique ways to win".

He took her hand now, looking in her eyes. "What I'm saying is, let's not waste this time. There's still so much we have to do together. So you decide how you want us to proceed. Maybe I can teach you how to cook, huh? You eat out too much." He tickled her a little.

Vax looked at Levi, a frown forming on her face. Of course she knew they as Guardians would go out on dangerous missions, but she never quite liked when somebody she loved went on them. “How long do you think you’ll be gone for?” she asked softly, nuzzling back close to Levi. “I’d swear I already had the highest clearance order available for Guardians, did- is it that secret?” she fretted, biting her lips anxiously. She huffed then, trying to ignore the bad thoughts as she lazily traced the lines on his neck. “Thank you for telling me. We can prepare for it now, which means we have to go back to the lake as soon as possible,” she hummed a bit, moving to kiss Levi. 

“You’re talking as if you won’t return, though,” she noted then, voice soft as the moonlight receded, clouds filtering in front of it. She was unable to stop herself from thinking about it. “You will, I hope? I can’t lose you, too. Not again,” she closed her eyes as she snuggled against Levi, the room still vaguely smelling funny, reminding them of what they’d done earlier. The Warlock sighed, pursing her lips. “I’ve done secret missions before,” she started with a murmur. “They can take ages, and are generally dangerous. I just worry.”

"I'm going to return, but I don't know when. It all depends on when I finish the mission. It's not going to be an easy one, but I'm definitely returning to be here, with you. Someone's gotta steal you away from Saladin, every now and again." Levi tickled Vax's side a little bit, snuggling up closer. "There shouldn't be any danger we can't handle. Deia was able to sneak up on you, Noct has a penchance for tinkering with traps and alarms, basically anything that has a gun. And you know how well yours trulycan get out of a sticky situation. If I could, I would take you with me in a heartbeat, but there's apparently a lot of stuff on Mars that needs to be done." He moved a bit and kissed her, a slow, lasting kiss before he laid back down. 

"How come you didn't tell me you were able to wake up Rasputin? I would have loved to see the look on Zavala's face when Ana Bray was able to talk to him. Ana Bray." Levi paused. "Even before I heard her name, I swear I knew her from something. Weird."

Vax nodded slowly, understanding what he was saying. “Well, Deia hardly snuck upon me. I called for help for any incoming Guardians and she was close. Thank the Traveler,” a small smile appeared ok the Awoken’s face, fingers ghosting over Levi’s chest as she gently traced circles on it. “Mars, hm? I see. Loads of Exo’s have been having that since she resurfaced, Clovis Bray did after all manufacture the models,” she was silent for a moment, then chuckled. “Zavala was not happy, I thought he’d kill me. The look on his face was pure danger, I think he was pretty close to just taking me out on the spot had it not been Ana who so meticulously managed to convince him to let us go in anyway.” the Warlock pecked at Levi’s neck, gentle kisses on the smooth metal. 

“Let’s go on a mission tomorrow, there is probably enough Ikora can give us, and frankly I’m itching to get back in the field with you. Perhaps we could even go to the lake afterwards,” she grinned a bit, closing her eyes as the clouds drifted away, moonlight once again illuminating the room ever so slightly. “Before you go on your big mission and disappear for a week.” she pouted, not meaning anything else with her comment.

Levi yawned, drowsiness beginning to overtake him. "Maybe we could go look in the Braytech Collective Server Hub. Maybe they have a record of who Exos were before they were converted. It would be nice to know the name I had before this one. Or where I came from; apparently that's the hot new thing for Guardians to do, now. If Ana Bray can do it, why not I?" Thoughts were racing through his head- thousands of theories floating through his head, about who he could be, why he was trapped in a vault; those questions could wait, though. Vax was his number one priority, now.

His eyes began to droop, falling asleep slowly as the moon rose. "What mission? I'm sure there's plenty to do... but I'll follow you, you're the ranking Guardian, after all... Mars? Venus? Maybe even paying a visit to the Reef? They've been quiet lately..."

Vax could feel Levi's tiredness, his voice drooping and slurring ever so slightly, growing quieter. She smiled softly, putting the thin blankets over them before she snuggled back into Levi, arm thrown over him, face pressed against his chest. "Mars it is, then," she whispered, yawning a bit. "Let's get you some well-deserved rest, and then some more answers. Though I do quite like Levi, it fits you." she felt herself drift off, a content smile on her face as she fell asleep, her room growing quiet at last.

The sun was shining brightly through the filtered blinds, rays illuminating the Guardians lying in the bed. The Exo had an arm wrapped around the Awoken, bodies pulled close together on their sides. Vax' eyelids were heavy when she opened them slowly, a hand moving to the heavy weight on her side before realising it was Levi's arm around her. She eyed the clock, 9 am, and just turned around to her other side, burrowing herself closer into Levi's chest, not wanting to move quite yet as the birds chirped outside. His presence was peaceful, the sunlight and the quiet ambience of the outside City creating a comfortable environment in her room.

A dark scene. A single light shone on an operating table. A blonde man, restrained and stripped of clothing, sat surrounded by figures obscured from view. He was struggling, to no avail, against the belts.

No. Stop. Please. I know what you're doing. Whatever you do, don't put me in that thing. I'll pay you whatever you want- I have thousands of credits- hell, I'll even throw in my ships while I'm at it- get that away from me! AH! Fuck, get it out! Get it out! No! I'll fucking kill you, I swear to the Traveler my family will make you pay for this-!

Light faded, and the man collapsed, a tech shunt embedded in his frontal lobe.

At a table not far from the scene, a heartbeat flickered on inside a metal chest.

Levi groaned, hearing the birds chirp. He had woken up just a moment before, light filtering in through the windows. "I don't want to get up yet. I want to stay in bed all day, maybe get ready, but come back to fuck at least six or seven more times. The mission can wait, right? Let some Kinderguardian take care of it, they love blowing stuff up with those cluster bombs of theirs." A big yawn came, and Levi wrapped his arms around Vax. He seemed wholly content there, basking in the early morning sunlight. I don't know which is more perfect, the sex or the morning after. I don't want this to end.

"At least, let's push departure back a little, I'll make you breakfast. French toast?"

Vax grinned a bit, her stomach making a jump at Levi’s suggestion, but she ignored it, probably best for the both of them. “No, Levi, we should get up, otherwise we’ll be too lazy later,” she murmured against his chest, hands gently scratching a bit on his back before just ghosting over the carbon fibre. “A Kinderguardian can’t find out who you were,” she then smiled, looking up to the Exo and kissing him softly, languidly. “French toast sounds delicious, don’t get dressed though, I want to see you,” she then whispered, hand moving over to Levi’s bare hips and resting there, a fond smile on the Awoken’s face. 

She forced herself to move, then, pushing the blanket off of her and getting up, stretching. “Come on, master cook,” she grabbed hold of Levi’s hand and tugged at it a bit, trying to get him to get up. “I’ll be waiting in the kitchen~” she then purred, Vax and her bare body hopping out of the room to the kitchen, smiling.

Levi yawned, taking his sweet time before he walked into the kitchen. He was a night person, but what could you do when your girlfriend was your commanding officer? He stretched and walked into the kitchen, cracking his neck before grabbing ingredients off the shelf, transmatting some from his personal storage as well. "You know, baking gets messy, I might need someone to wash up with me in the shower when we're done.", he said in a sickly sweet tone. Levi mixed the wet ingredients together, whisking it effortlessly. 

As he went along cooking, he stole occasional glances at Vax. The woman was easily a goddess; morning light hit her pearlescent skin and made it look like she was shimmering. Her small freckles and red hair contrasted with the blue of her hair. Levi almost burnt the first batch staring.

Vax smiled, almost wickedly so, as she watched Levi cook, leaned against the counter with her arms, definitely not trying to put herself on show. "Oh? How unfortunate," she shrugged, eyeing the nude Exo with interest. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, smiling as she leaned on his shoulder, hands wrapped around his waist. "We should've taken a shower yesterday, truth be told, hm? Sweaty," she pecked at his neck slowly, humming softly. "But, we can do it after our breakfast, given you won't burn it," she grinned, eyeing the french toast in the pan. 

She detached herself from Levi with a smooth motion, walking back in her room and opening the blinds, sunlight lighting up the room brightly. She made the bed and then walked back to the kitchen, stretching. "One day I will surprise you with some cooking of my own, and you will be amazed. Mind. Blown." she chuckled softly, sitting down on a high chair close to the kitchen.

Levi smirked, not even trying to hide his gaze as he beheld the Awoken busting over the counter. Wow, what did I do to deserve her?

"I bet you can't cook as well as I can. dearest. But we'll see. If you cook half as good as you look, then I'm in for a treat, huh?" Levi flipped the french toast, golden brown coloring still sizzling on the cooked side. "And excuse me, Princess, but I can't sweat. Someone must have been very... stimulated, to go that hard, last night. I wasn't noticing that I couldn't sweat." The CookLock plated four pieces for the both of them, including some fruit and powdered sugar on both, as well as a lot of butter, and some maple syrup on the side. 

"Tell me what you think. I've been told I use too much cinnamon, but I happen to like it." He walked over to it next to her, gently caressing a certain part of her before he sat down.

Vax laughed softly. "I know I can't cook as well as you, but I did save the world many times. Perhaps that evens it out," she teased, pulling her legs up on the chair as she took a plate, grinning at Levi contently. "And well, I know I was sweating. You don't, but I got sweaty and you got it on you, so I for one, would love a shower," she nudged the Exo next to her, taking a bite from her french toast. "Oh- that's good, as usual," she hummed, closing her eyes for a second as she completely indulged herself in the taste. "How blessed I am that you are my boyfriend," she grinned, enjoying the rest of her toast before she set her plate aside.

The Warlock stood up and stretched, perhaps a bit too much making sure Levi could really see her body, a grin on her face. "All right, handsome," she leaned over to Levi, nuzzling close to his face. "Let's take a shower, hm? We have a meeting in an hour about our mission, and I would like to make it."

"Let's shower." Levi smiled, and the Exo picked her up wedding-style, kissing her full on the lips as he carried her to the bathroom. Shelley had started the shower already, and the large walk-in was steaming like a sauna. "Traveler, how blessed that I have you as my girlfriend. As my soulmate. As my partner. And occasionally, my food critic." He set her down on a bench that was embedded into the wall of the shower; the steam was thick enough that condensation formed on their bodies. "You should really consider modeling, you're probably the most attractive person on Earth. The magazines would pay a fortune for you; they swooned over a shirtless picture of Shaxx.”

Levi's hands wandered to her hips. The two were veryclose again, and both Warlocks knew that they were close not just in mind, but more in spirit.

Vax hummed as Levi's hands touched her body, the water falling down over the both of them almost soothingly so. "Your hands always feel so, nice," she whispered softly, standing close to her lover as she moved her hands over his chest, a small and content smile on her face. "I have been offered modelling positions," she hummed gently, starting to press soft kisses to Levi's neck, eyes closed. Her hands wandered down to the small of his back, mouth moving to his jaw. "I never took them, though. Something else always came up," she whispered, kissing at the corner of his mouth. "Besides, I never quite liked putting my body out there for others. I will always enjoy the eyes of my partners on me, gliding over my body..." she whispered, a small grin on her face.

She pecked at Levi's jaw once again, hands moving to his, taking hold of them and putting them on her hips, guiding them. "Over my hips, my abdomen," she moved his hands to her belly slowly, hot breath ghosting over his face she she whispered to him. "My breasts," she moved his hands over to her breasts, slowly, squeezing into his hands so he squeezed her breasts, for just a bit. "I mean, imagine if others would do that, hm? Am I not only for you?" she purred, head tilted down as she looked up to Levi, glancing through her eyelashes, a smirk on her face.

A small sound escaped from Levi's throat- the closest synonym for it would be a purr. He leaned forward until his mouth was just by her ear, caressing the supple mounds, still. The words came as the smallest of whispers, barely audible above the flowing water. "Oh, I suppose you're right. If you're only for me, than I suppose I should take care of you like I mean it. Like I'm the only one who deserves you."

Levi gently pushed her against the wall; kissing down her neck, her collarbone, her soft skin gently accepting the love. His arms held her in place as his wandering mouth found Vax's soft nipples... a gentle lick, then a less gentle suck followed. One hand found her left, while Levi's mouth attended to her right. He sucked down hard, until the tip was hard and swollen; he then repeated with her left, eyes looking up at her as he did so.

After he was done, his hands found her legs, pulling them apart gently. "You know, there's more I can do... am I pleasing you so far, Princess?"

Vax exhaled a hot breath as Levi pushed her against the wall, back bumping against it as she stabilised herself. She grabbed at Levi's head, holding onto it as he sucked at her breasts and fondled them, arousal pooling in her gut. "L-Levi," she whispered then, biting her lips. "You always please me," she grinned a bit, eyes heavy-lidded as she looked down to meet his gaze. She moved her hips towards him, almost inviting him. "Come on then, hm? Do what you've been wanting to do," she purred excitedly, hand moving down to his neck, rubbing a thumb over his jaw before moving it to his mouth, slowly sliding it in there as she smirked. "I really want to suck you off right now," she then admitted on a hot whisper. "Completely - ah!" she moaned, head tilting backwards as Levi's tongue started working at her, the hot water of the shower not helping her arousal in any way.

She buckled her hips a bit forward, wanting more from the Exo, eyes sliding closed. "God - you're amazing." she breathed, moaning softly as the water clattered down around them.

"Damn straight. I live to please." Levi didn't waste any more time; he immediately knelt in front of the shower bench, beginning to lap at Vax's tender slit. "fuck- you- taste- so- good." His tongue split her delicate lips apart. He traced lines, circles, shapes. Anything to tease her clit and her hole. He even licked all the way from her hole to her clit, letting the entirety of his tongue trace over the soft blue flesh. Levi's tongue had a unique texture, a series of pads gave it a lifelike quality. 

His hands reached back, grasping her ass and pulling the Awoken forward on the bench. "Traveler, I can't get enough of you. It's intoxicating."

As the Exo ate her out, he reached down and began to caress his already-hard cock, precum gently dripping out. He was ready, but he wanted to take care of her first.

Vax whined, head leaned back against the wall as she held onto Levi’s head, the Exo eating her out so deliciously good. “L-Levi-“ she gasped softly, hand tightening on his head. “Levi- stop,” she smiled a bit, exhaling a hot breath as her hips buckled up against his mouth. “Stop, I want- get up,” she breathed, hands resting on his shoulders as he stopped and looked up to her before getting up. 

The Awoken moved to kiss him deeply, tasting herself in his mouth and letting out a bit of a whine. “I want to please you, too,” she whispered on his lips, fingers travelling down from his chest to his abdomen, and then ghosted over his cock, caressing the tip before she wrapped her hand around him gently. She slowly started moving it up and down, grinning. “You’re so good I’d cum if you’d eat me out fully,” she purred, nude body pressed against his frame. “And I want to cum with you, yes? I love you,” she kissed him deeply once more before pulling away and going down on her knees, starting to lick at the tip of his cock, smirking. She moved her hands to his hips, pulling him closer to her as she wrapped her mouth around his member and slowly slid down, his cock easily sliding in the wetness of her mouth until he was almost fully in there.

"You're- ah! full of surprises...." Levi arched his head back, gently placing his hands on Vax's head. "You're too good for me, I haven't ever had one...of...these...ah!" His legs tensed up as he stood there, sighing with relief. Watery, slightly glowing precum began to leak from his hard cock, before long, the stimulation making it so the member twitched every so often. 

Before long, Levi was gently rocking his cock in and out of Vax's mouth, taking more control as he bucked his hips. Mouth, mouth is good. He stopped for a moment, pulling out and leaning down, kissing her full on the lips, adding just a little bit of tongue. "You know, this is all I ever wanted. Someone to care for." All of a sudden, he knelt down, pulling Vax into a hug. "You're too nice for me..."

Vax looked up to Levi, tongue pressed against his cock as she moved up and down his shaft slowly, a slight smirk in her face. Her hands tightened on his hips as he started bucking up into her, the Warlock moaning around him. She made a noise when Levi pulled out, looking up to her lover before he kissed her, the kiss wet and sloppy. She smiled a bit, satisfied, and happy, as Levi hugged her tightly, on her level now.

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, pressing herself against him. "Levi, babe," she whispered, pecking at his neck once, lovingly. "It's no problem, I'm glad you're back with me, I love you," she pulled back a bit to kiss him softly, more passionately this time, as her hands rested on his wet torso. The Warlock smiled, holding Levi close to her as she pulled away. "Now, can I continue sucking you off or do you want to fuck me already?" she whispered on a purr in Levi's ear, nuzzling at his jaw afterwards.

"Oh ye gods, fuck me already, ride my fucking cock..." Levi whispered, pulling Vax onto his lap. the hard cock rubbing against her love as she sat across his legs. "I need nothing but you, only you, forever you." The Exo looked in her eyes, begging to be loved, reveling in the companionship he had dreamed about for so long. He pulled her close, kissing her all over, worshipping her, treating her like the queen she deserved to be. He paid special attention to her nipples, since she had seemed to like it before. 

And with a simple thrust, he was in, gently introducing the member back into her pussy. They couldn't be closer, as the water from the shower washed over them. Levi kissed her again, hands wandering to her ass as she rode him; he couldn't get enough of the woman. He didn't just want to fuckher, he wanted to make love, forget about everything else in the world but her. And so, he did.

Vax allowed Levi to pull her in, rolling her hips over his member a bit teasingly with a smile. She looked down at the Exo almost lovingly, a purple and content blush on her cheeks as her hands moved to his cheeks and leaned in to kiss him softly, gently. "I love you," she whispered, then whimpering as his mouth moved over her skin, biting and licking at her nipples exactly the way she liked it. Her hands moved to Levi's head, holding him right there before he thrust into her wetness suddenly, eliciting a gasp from the Warlock. "Ah- I love you," she repeated, eyes sliding closed as she kissed him, breath seemingly lost.

She pulled her head back, the Awoken out of breath as she rolled her hips over him, the sensation making her moan softly. "Levi - stay with me forever," she murmured, arms moving to wrap around the Exo's neck, pulling herself closer as she moved her hips up and down against his thrusts, whimpering. "I love you," she couldn't stop saying it, the water of the shower dripping down her nose and her breasts and her body, the sensation of the warmth paired with his cock inside her so delicious, she didn't want it to end. She did love him, she needed him to stay with her and be by her side, loving her, adoring her

"I - ah- love you too. Seriously- ah! More than you know." Levi's arms wrapped around her, and he pulled her as close as he could, resting his forehead on her chest. The moans intensified, the thrusting followed suit; somehow, it was just as good as the first time, for these two lovers. The exo bucked at a steady pace, fast enough to keep things exciting; the gentle slap slap slapreverberated throughout the shower, and bathroom beyond. Hell, anyone walking by the apartment might've heard, as they weren't exactly trying to be quiet. 

Levi's member twitched a little more, the whole thing sending shockwaves of pleasure between both of them. "This is good, fuck, better than I ever dreamed it could be, this is seriously all I need, in my lives, is you." His hands lifted to the back of her head, pulling her in for a deep, long kiss. Levi didn't hold back; there was definitely some tongue thrown in there. The juices from the two ran off down his body, the stream of water washing it away.

The kiss couldn’t last long enough, Vax kissing back almost excitedly so as she listened to his words. Even with Eris, even with Saladin, she could not get enough of Levi, his voice sending shivers down her spine and his hands doing wonders. She moaned into his mouth, unable to do anything else as he fucked up into her, filling her. “L-Levi-“ she whispered hotly against his lips, hands clinging onto his shoulders as she bucked her hips forward over his member. 

“Levi, come inside me, again,” she whispered on a purr then, meeting his gaze through her lashes. “Pour everything inside me, fill me-“ she whimpered at a particularly hard thrust, eyes rolling back just a bit before she looked back at Levi, not breaking the eye contact as she moaned and writhed on top of him, hands rested on his shoulders. She rolled and moved her hips over him, trying to stimulate him as much as possible, wanting to only pleasure him. “Please, baby.” she then purred lowly, smirking a bit.

"Anything y-you need, Princess. Your wish is my desire." He grunted, wrapping his arms around her waist and beginning to really pound into her. Their skin rippled as the force intensified the penetration, starting to go faster and faster, their love feeling better and better. Levi's member began to twitch with increasing frequency; he was getting close to orgasming. The Warlock's breath was intensifying, his heartbeat rising, his mind going basically blank; for it being his second time, his stamina had increased well. Vax was pounded for a couple more minutes, until finally, with sudden, hard, twitching, Levi gave her what she wanted, and came inside her, filling her up, the warm liquid surrounding his cock, inside her. 

Levi leaned back against the shower wall, panting, trying to intake air. "Fuck, does it get better every time? That can't be right..." He smirked his little smirk, resting his hands on her thighs. "You just....make me happy. I can't believe I finally have a companion like you."

Vax couldn’t help but let out a mix between a moan and a shout as Levi filled her, body tensing up as she felt the warmth spread through her. “O-oh, my ...” she breathed, slumping against Levi’s shoulder as she panted, the warm water raining down on them almost soothing against her sensitive skin. She nuzzled closer into Levi’s neck, smiling contently. “Hmm. With you it seems to be that way, though I must admit that sex is always amazing,” she whispered, pecking at his jaw. “I love you, Levi. I do,” she moved a hand to his cheeks as she slowly kissed him, other hand resting on his shoulder. In the kiss she moved her hips a little, whimpering when his cock slid against her walls and moved inside her a bit. 

The Warlock didn’t move, however, just sitting there in Levi’s lap, on his cock. “I’m never going to get up, I can die happy here,” she sighed lovingly, smiling at the Exo close to her. “I still want to suck you off, though. Sometime soon, just completely indulge you and have you fuck me in the mouth,” she purred, pecking at the corner of Levi’s mouth. “I can’t wait already.”

"I love you too. But I think it's funny that you're so... I don't know... sexual. I never expected it from the quiet Awoken who pulled me out of a ship. And, I love it. I can't get enough of you..." Levi just her close, for a moment. "Hey, weird question, but... you don't think we're moving too fast, do you? I do things at a million miles a minute, but you seemed more... apprehensive to the idea of someone new in your life. I just want to make sure you're okay. You mean a lot to me, you know."

Levi kissed her cheek, tracing circles on her skin with his fingers. "Anyways, you're amazing, as always. I know I probably don't feel as good as a human or an Awoken, but at least we can be together. I'm still holding my breath that there's a secret body generator somewhere out there."

The warlock slapped his partner's butt lightly, smirking again. "Come on, babe, we should try to get going. Someone competent has to show these little Guardians how to run patrols."

Vax chuckled a bit airily, hand gently caressing Levi's cheek. "I may be a quiet Awoken who tends to rescues ridiculous Exo's, I do quite like myself some sex," she purred, softly kissing him once again. She couldn't get enough of him, wanting more more more every time. She eyed him at his following question, something resembling fondness filling her eyes as she happily smiled and cupped his face inbetween her hands. "Levi. If I didn't like this speed, I would have stopped you yesterday as soon I felt you against my ass," she chuckled a bit, as if his worries were ridiculous. And in a way, they were. "Don't you think I, the one who talks back at Ikora without fear, would show you when it's too much?" her voice was soft, eyes filled with nothing but love and kindness.

"You worry too much, baby, I love you," she kissed him once again, languidly, as she lingered there for a moment more to enjoy the moment. "Hm. Making me get up while I'm quite enjoying my seat," she pouted jokingly before she got up, biting her lips as Levi slid out of her and some cum dripped out as well. She shivered, offering Levi a hand to get up. "Let's get clean, properly, and then we'll go on our mission," she smiled, getting herself under the spray of water and pulling her hair back out of her face. "Perhaps we could get some noodles afterwards."

Before Vax could reach for the shampoo, Levi was all over her again, pushing her to the wall gently as they started, yet again. 

After two or three more times of.... fun, the couple suited up in their armor: Vax, in her flowing red robes, Levi in his grey-and-blue researcher's coat. Their Ghosts were polished, their ammo was full; it was time to kick some ass, wherever they wanted to go. Before they put their helmets on, the Exo pulled her in for one last kiss. "I'm so glad you pulled me out of a dangerous predicament and then saved me from dying on a Fallen Ketch and then went on a noodle date with me." He gently touched her face, and he pulled her hand to the main room.

"Hey, hopefully all this training has been paying off. And you're so, so, so important to me... but as you know, I have other people who I consider as family, just like you. It's important to me that you get along, so, uh... we're not patrolling alone." Levi walked to the front door of the apartment, and opened it; Noct and Deia were both standing there, their armor repaired, guns shiny and cleaned. 

"So, uh, let's go kill something, huh? As a team."

Vax froze when she saw Noct and Deia, something like anger flaring up inside her. She clenched her jaw as she balled her gloved hands into fists, eyeing Levi. The helmet thankfully protected her face, but she was pretty sure Levi could tell she was angry, the Warlock having trouble finding and stabilizing her voice. "We would be going to Mars, get Ana Bray's help and figure out Levi's past identity," she said matter of factly, walking past Levi and his fireteam briskly as she made her way through the hallway to the hangar. After everything it had apparently not crossed the Exo's metal mind that she wanted to be updatedon this stuff, he couldn't just pull this sort of stuff. Especially not considering what he had done to get them.

Once in the hangar she waved with her hand to some frames, the simple machinery pressing some buttons to hail for their ships. While waiting she pulled Levi aside, hand tightly around his arm. "Did it not cross your bloody mind that you should tell me this?" she growled, voice low. She reflexively moved a hand up to press at where her forehead would be behind her helmet. "Seriously, Levi. After all this," she sighed deeply, looking down at the ground for a brief moment. "I'm fine with trying to get along with them, but I want to do it on my terms, not be forced with them in a fireteam. All this will do is cause you to be between us three all the time and I don't want that! I want you to be their older brother like you told me while you give me my space to get to know them. They hardly seem like the people to respect my authority, especially not since you got them into this life," she looked at where Levi's eyes would be. "I promise, I do want to get to know them, but forcing me to be around them won't do it. We'll go on this mission, but I need you to keep this in mind. And that's an order."

Levi whispered the word. "Order. An order? I would've thought that we were past the point where you had to give me orders." He scoffed, folding his arms, trying not to be too angry about it. "Listen, the one thing you can admit is that they're good Guardians. You know how dangerous Mars is, between the Hive and the Protocol, not to mention what's left of the Red Legion. We could at least use the help- I understand your feelings, I really do. But they're not going to disappear because you're uncomfortable with them."

Noct was suddenly preoccupied with re-fastening his boot, while Deia was fiddling with a revolver; neither of them were too occupied with trying to eavesdrop.

"They're a part of my family, just as much as you are, now. I don't hang around with just anyone, Vax. I've trained them personally, and they can get out of anything, provided a power-hungry asshole doesn't seal up the Traveler again. I trust them, and I know that you don't. 

But, I played nice with Saladin, it's your turn to at least pretend to want them on the team, at least for today. Give them tasks, keep them occupied. Hell, Noct is the perfect soldier, for crying out loud, he'd kiss a Thrall if you ordered him to."

He reached to the hand on her visor, holding it at his side. "Please. For me."

Vax let out a breath, almost an annoyed huff, as she crossed her arms. Urging to pull her head away from his hands, she simply stared him down. "I will give an order where needed. You may be my partner, in the battlefield I'm still your commanding officer and you are to follow them, no matter what you say or think," she said simply, as if she was making a point clear to a child. "And about Noct and Deia, you understand me wrong. I do want to get to know them, I want to get along with them as much as I want you to get along with Saladin. Because I know they matter to you, just like you know Eris and Saladin matter to me. I don't try and blame them for what you did on Mercury, but you can't blame me for at least being apprehensive about it. I try not to let it affect me too much but I still really would've liked a heads-up on this fireteam, just so I could have prepared myself mentally. I need them to follow my orders when I shout them, other than that they're free to do whatever the fuck they want to do, same goes for you," she took a deep breath, grumbling then as she rubbed at her visor again, something of a headache coming up. She never liked fighting with her partners.

"Listen," she started, voice softer, but a hard edge still present. At least she was trying. "I don't want to fight with you, I really don't," she sighed, tense shoulders dropping ever so slightly. "But I need you to understand. You hurt me and I need my time, Noct and Deia remind me every time and it hurts, even though everything is okay now. Just - let me do this in my own way, okay? I'm damn well trying to make it work here, really," she eyed the hangar as their ships flew in, the Warlock clenching her jaw before she looked back at Levi. "Next time, warn me, and there won't be a problem. I promise." 

With that, she simply turned and walked towards her ship, transmatting herself into it.

Levi muttered under his breath. "Just because you've transmatted off doesn't mean you get the Last Word.". Levi made a small circle in the air with his finger, and Noct and Deia instantly walked to him, transmatting to their ships simultaneously. The Warlock followed suit, huffing as their ships pulled away. What does she mean? She's never pulled rank like that before. She knows better than to think that the siblings would misbehave... doesn't she....?

The four ships departed Earth's atmosphere, entering NLS space en route to Mars.

Noct piped up on a radio between the three. "Brother, you okay over there? You sure you're up to be back in the hierarchy of a soldier? We're back on the bottom bar; I'm pretty sure that Kinderguardians are a higher security clearance. Well, I don't think Deia was anything other than a Kinderguardian. (this ellicitted a "hey!" from Deia.) This might be rough going for you, on Mars."

Levi grunted. "I've had half my body blown off since you died, I think I can handle harsh memories." He fiddled with Shelley's shell, rubbing out a speck of dirt, his legs up on the console. 

Deia snickered. "That's not the only thing you've had blown, I'm guessing."

As soon as Vax transmatted into her ship she pulled off her helmet and rubbed at her head, an annoyed frown worrying her face. She sat down in her seat and set course for mars, her ship entering hyperspace as it propelled towards the red planet. She sighed, setting her helmet aside as Ghost materialised. "You haven't ordered him around before." it noted simply, dark red shell shining in the light of the hyperspace.

Vax sighed, biting her lips. "I know," she murmured, biting her lips. "I also know he doesn't like authority. I had to put him in place, he - he needs to discuss any changes to the fireteam to the leader. Perhaps I have been too easy on him," she grumbled, watching the space outside her ship fly by. She made a noise of annoyance as she stood back up, restless as she grabbed her helmet. "I know he just wants me to get along with his close friends, and I do, too, but I -"

"But, but, but," Ghost hummed, zooming over to Vax. "Just do it. Just do this mission and talk with his friends, hm?" 

Vax looked at her companion, then grumbled as she put her helmet back on, ship exiting the hyperspace with a jolt. "Fine. I was going to, anyway. You and Levi have no faith in me," she sat back down and steered her ship towards the surface before transmatting herself onto the ground, checking her hand cannon's chambers and then clicking the chamber back in place. "All right. Straight beeline to Ana Bray."

The three underlings were already in formation around her; Levi was at Vax's side; Noct was up ahead, scouting out, behind cover; Deia was on top of a building, staying out of sight. "Whatever you say, ma'am. Easiest way is probably through this Hive-infested area." "It is a very Hive-infested path." Shelley piped up, on the channel. Levi chuckled. "Be nice not to fight Cabal or Vex for a change. Well, Vax, you're in charge. How do you want us to proceed, Lieutenant?" Levi cocked his rifle, checking the conduction coils. 

"Ana holed herself into a very hostile part of Mars, it's not going to be easy."

Vax rolled her eyes, lowering her hand cannon. “It’s right in front of us, guys. Just run through the enemies as if they aren’t there and we’ve made it. All we need are Ana’s access codes and we can find the needed terminals-“ she hesitated for a moment, then she sighed and forced herself to say, “But thank you for your excitement.” she looked at Levi for a moment, then gently moved a hand to brush against his, for just a quick second. I’m sorry.

“Let’s go,” she pulled her hand back and started jogging towards the large entrance right in front of them, shooting down the Hive and Cabal fighting in front of it around the circle. Within a minute they had reached the large open door, and Vax walked inside. “Is this the first time you guys are on Mars?” she wondered to Noct and Deia, deciding to strike a conversation with them as she walked up the large steps. She really did want to try and be friends with them.

Noct spoke up, as Deia watched the doorway. "We've been to Meridian Bay and we've had recon missions on Phobos, but we haven't been to BrayTech yet. It's certainly interesting, and the fact that all this Golden Age tech makes me excited for some new gear. I've heard rumors of a railgun of sorts..." Noct trailed off for a moment, lost in thought about his beloved guns. "But as for the Hive here, I suppose it's equally impressive that they survived a deep freeze for a couple hundred years. The same for Rasputin."

Levi spoke, voice a little quieter. "It makes you think how many Exo frames they might have buried in ice, in vaults, like me. I hope some Ghosts can make it out here."

Levi's free hand touched Vax's, as they walked up the steps. He didn't look at her, instead looking around, as Shelley and John (Noct's Ghost) flew to a mainframe hookup, scanning to get a schematic of the base. Levi didn't speak, though; it seemed as though he was a little overwhelmed.

Vax watched the Titan and Hunter look around the area, silent. They seemed... different now, almost humble in the size of the facility they were standing in. They were almost peaceful. “A railgun, hm?” Vax broke the silence then as she held out her hands and Ghost transmatted the Sleeper Simulant in them. “This one?” she hummed, handing it over to Noct before walking back over to Levi. 

She was silent when he reached for her hand and touched it, the touch feeling moreso like a reassurance for the Exo that he was here, right now. Vax smiled a bit behind her helmet, gently taking hold of Levi’s hand and squeezing it. She didn’t need to speak to make him understand that she understood, it was fine. They were all here. She let go of Levi and turned to face her fireteam, stowing her hand cannon. “I’ll speak with Ana and get her access codes, you guys feel free to look around, just try not to break anything.” she nodded and then turned on her heels once again before walking up the final steps to Ana, engaging in a conversation with her.

Deia immediately dropped an old piece of machinery, the piece hitting the floor as Noct and Levi glared at her. "It, was, uh... already broken. TONS of old stuff around here. Yep." The girl started to whistle quietly, looking around at the rafters. 

Levi sat on the steps, looking around the large annex. Something about it was... unsettling. And suddenly, it happened again.

A new, sparkling Clovis Bray facility. It was the middle of the night- and a security guard lay unconscious outside of the main doors. A trail of blood led out the door, towards three figures; the ones on the left and right carried the middle one, whose feet were dragging on the ground. Most of the blood was from him; his lab coat was stained red, and his face was bruised, some piercings missing from a beating. 

"We have to get him off-world for this. Show that whole fuckin' company who's boss, eh?" The left figure spoke up as soon as they got out of the complex.

"Boss said to take him to Venus, so we're taking him to Venus. We're getting paid a shit ton for this; let's not fuck it up eh?" The right one clicked a small remote, and a ship started up near them. 

The prisoner groaned, spitting out a droplet of blood. "You guys call that a beating? Show me how you really punch, Princess." A thud rang out as a hand made contact with his jaw. 

An I.D. card on his coat pocket read Leviticus Bray.

Levithan-13 flinched, jerking awake. His hands were clenched.

Vax thanked Ana and nodded as the Hunter yelled something after her, the Warlock walking down the stairs calmly. She noticed Levi’s tense demeanour and gently touched his shoulder, just a bit, as if to pull him back to the present. “You good?” she whispered softly, almost worriedly; she had noticed behaviour like that in Levi before, for the first time at the lake, where he had stiffened up and completely grown absent. It reminded her of when Eris got visions. 

She whistled to get Noct and Deia back to her, hands almost formally crossed behind her back. “I got Ana’s access codes. Apparently the terminals we want to access are in a deep part of the facility, we’ll have to fight through a ton of Hive, but something tells me that won’t be a problem with this team,” she glanced down at Levi real quick, making sure he was fine, before looking back up. “Please use your abilities carefully, however, there is a lot of uncovered tech lying around we wouldn’t want to ruin. Let’s go.” she grabbed her hand cannon and turned to the small door in the back of the room, walking inside. 

The Warlock was uneasy. Usually on Mars the Hive were a nuisance, sure, but today... it felt off. Different, almost like - him. She felt a shiver run up her spine and she shook her head slightly, trying to get the thoughts out of her head. She’d killed him.

Noct looked between the two as they walked. "You two alright? You're moving a little slower." His melodic voice rang out on the radio, as Deia brought up the rear in the formation. "There's tunnels of Hive that connect the buildings, as well. We might be able to get through those as well." A Thrall popped up out of a grate; the Titan simply punched it, breaking its neck. 

Levi ignored the commotion, laying a hand on Vax's shoulder. "Hey, beautiful. You alright? It's just a couple of Hive, we can take point if you need. I'm sure after being in the Tower for a little bit, it's hard to get back into the swing of things...?"

As the group moved forward, wave after wave of Thrall approached them; Noct and Deia cut them down with a constant flurry of bullets and Light. The two moved in tandem; of what the brother missed with his minigun, Deia picked up the slack with her revolvers. 

A small plaza came about. "Stand aside, my turn." Levi jumped, gathering his Light-

And only a single spark of Void came out. He was quickly overwhelmed by Hive, burying him, as the rest rushed towards the other three guardians.

Vax simply shook her head at her fireteam, they didn’t have to know what was troubling her, she had no reason to feel like this after all. The Hive’s screams were louder than normal around her however, the screeches piercing through her ears and staying there. It wasn’t about being back in the field, it was that hewas somehow present, right here on Mars. 

She watched Levi summon up the Void, and then horror dawned on her face when the Exo failed and got consumed by the Hive. 

No.

“Noct, Deia, open fire!” she whipped her head to her fireteam, voice surprisingly calm as she ordered them around. “And don’t stop firing until it’s only me and Levi, don’t worry about hurting us.” with that she ran into the pile of Hive, Uriel’s Gift in her hands as she fired into the Thrall, throwing herself in there. “Levi! Talk to me!” she growled, tears stinging in her eyes. Please. 

She reached an arm out, hoping to feel the Exo, as suddenly the Hive cleared around her and nothing but ink black smoke filled her vision, shielding them from their fireteam. Levi. She ran over to the bundle of limbs that was Levi, pulling him close to her as she quickly looked around with her gun, Hive nowhere to be found. Where-

“Ah. A familiar face,” a deep voice spoke up, and Vax felt a cold shiver run up her spine as she felt herself freeze. No. She stared up in the black smoke as an Echo of Oryx appeared, seeming to grin manically. “No, no, no,” Vax breathed, clutching Levi close as if for her own protection. She felt tears roll down her cheeks, but no other sound came out of her, staring up at the image. She killed him, she killed him, she ki-

“Levi, wake up,” she focused her attention back to him, ignoring her feelings of pure wrong and desperation, heart thumping loudly in her chest. “Please- please-“ she shook his body, then whimpered when the Echo summoned Taken Thrall, the enemy skittering closer and closer to the two Warlocks until suddenly the smoke cleared and everything was back to normal. 

But the Mars sun felt cold to Vax, the Warlock breathing heavily as she clutched onto her lover, the Hive once again starting to crowd around the two Guardians.

All of a sudden, an explosion of Arc rang out around them, and Noct was covered in electricity; With each slam, more Thrall were evaporated, but it wouldn't last forever. Levi shook awake, groaning. "What happened...? Why aren't we on Venus?" His hands trembled, and he stumbled around, falling again as white blood dripped from a couple of deep wounds. 

A row of machines, all humanoid in form. A table with many instruments. A whirring of tools and saws.

There were still too many Hive coming towards them; Deia appeared behind them, helping Levi up with a deft pull. The tiny Hunter put an arm around his waist, helping him walk, shooting with her other free hand. "Vax, come on, there's a room we can lock not far from here. 

A scream.

The Hive began to overtake them; Noct was barely able to rejoin the group. He dragged Vax by a hand, and the two siblings dragged the two lovers away from the Hive menace, shooting behind them where they could.

Vax was whimpering, scrambling along with Noct and Deia as they pulled them into a room and locked the door, saving them from the hive. She was trembling, throwing her helmet off and then scrambling towards a corner and promptly vomiting, heaving weakly as she leaned on shaky arms, eyes staring into nothingness. She sat back on the floor and then turned to her fireteam, voice weak, as she wiped at her mouth. “Did- did you guys, see that?” she whispered, swallowing thickly. “O-Oryx,” she gripped a hand in her hair, eyes pressed close briefly. 

She looked up when she heard the screeches of Hive outside the door, and it seemed to ground her as she crawled back over to Levi, cupping his face in her hands and looking him over. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding,” she murmured, wiping some blood away with her gloves. She looked back at Noct and Deia, eyes wide. “Thank you,” her voice was sincere, checking the Guardians to make sure they had no injuries before looking back at Levi. 

“What happened? Why would we be on Venus?” she questioned, frowning as she wiped off a speck of dirt. She was still trembling and terrified, it showed in her eyes, but right now taking care of Levi was more important.

"Never mind, I'm alright." Levi leaned on a wall, looking at his hands. "And what do you mean 'Oryx'? Vax, you killed him, and no one's seen evidence of otherwise. There were no Taken with that crowd, only Hive." Shelley healed her guardian as he looked over Vax, a concerned look on his face, helmet on the ground. "Vax, if you're seeing things, this little mission can wait, we can get back to the Tower and take more time, if we need." 

Noct and Deia watched the door, as some banging resounded through the room. The Hive were back, and luckily a steel door kept them at bay. Levi's hands rested on Vax's shoulders. "We can get away, fuck this place, we don't need to know about a dumb past of mine. All that matters is that you're okay. See, I already have my Void back-!"

With that last sentence, Levi waved his hand, trying to conjure a small field or at least something. Nothing came, and his look of bewilderment was disheartening. "Damn it. I swear, I'm okay."

*The feeling of instruments digging into skin, all over. A naked body on a cold steel table, the only heat rising off of the blood that was spilt. Pain, so much pain."

Levi's eyes had flickered, becoming what could be considered "glassy" for an Exo. He was lost in thought, and Noct caught him before he collapsed.

Vax was about to say something when Levi collapsed, and she made a noise. “Fuck-“ she grumbled, gathering her helmet and setting it close in case they had to go. “Noct, Deia, talk to me. Has he done this before?” her voice was strict, the Warlock back in her leadership role as she guided Noct to sit Levi down. She ran a hand through her hair almost frustratedly, pacing back and forth as she mumbled out loud, planning. 

“All right, something in the air here is fucking us up, Levi seems to drift in and out of consciousness and I’m-“ she hesitated saying it, uneasy, but she had to. “I’m being played with somehow. Something doesn’t want us to go to that access node, and it knows who to play,” she eyed at Levi, then summoned Ghost, ordering it to scan the Exo. “This is the plan. We open the door and clear out the Hive enough that we can run through to the computer. Apparently it’s in a server room, that’s got a door we can protect. I’ll carry Levi if you guys clear the path for us,” she grabbed her helmet and put it on, locking it in place. 

She crouched down at Levi, looking at Ghost. “Talk to me.” 

Ghost looked at its Guardian, then the other Titan and Hunter. “He seems to be lost in thoughts, just like Blü was, but I don’t think it’s a case of multiple personalities in one frame. These memories seem to disable bodily functions for whatever reason, but I can’t hack into his mind and stop it. I refuse to even if I could.”

He opened his eyes, looking around. He was strapped to a table. He couldn't feel much. He couldn't see much. Only a small, oddly shaped being floating close to him.

"Eyes up, Guardian."

Deia sighed. "We're on it, boss. One heaping plate of dead Hive, coming up. Give us a few." She reloaded and became covered in Solar Light, the door opening with Noct's punch, many Hive instantly burning with shots from the Golden Gun. Levi shook awake, clearing his throat. He looked around, bewildered, before standing. His voice, when it came out, was hoarse but firm. "We need to get to that database. I... I think it'll have some information that's pertinent on how some Exos came into existence. How I came into existence. Noct, lay down some cover fire, I'll at least be able to walk and shoot. Just call the shots, Vax," when he said this, he put a hand on her face. "it'll be fine. Go, Noct."

More shots rang out, and a hole in the Hive lines opened. Levi stood, shakily, taking a sidearm out from a small holster. "Come on, let's show these half-rate worm fuckers who's their real King. We're only 500 feet away from the server farm." His voice was now louder, and... angry? Small vestiges of anger began to disseminate throughout his voice. "We've come too far to be stopped by some Thrall."

Vax gripped at her helmet when nobody was looking, making a noise of pain. Headache. She reached for her hand cannon, then frowned when Levi got up. “Levi- you’re in no condition to lead this team,” she said, voice commanding as she looked at him. She gripped at Levi’s arm harshly before he could move, pulling him back. “Levi, please. Think for once, don’t just act impulsively like you always do. We have a plan and we’ll follow it. You stay in the middle of me, Noct, and Deia. We need you save, you’re our objective,” the hand around Levi’s arm gripped tighter, pulling him closer. “I don’t want to order you so I’m asking you, please,” she pleaded, then letting him go. The choice was his. 

She rushed towards the door, taking the lead as she started shooting at the Thrall rushing their way. She then noticed some Acolytes on either sides of them. “Noct, Deia, left and right,” she called out, eyeing behind her to make sure everybody was here before continuing their run towards the server room. She reloaded her gun inbetween shots, panting a bit. “Door in sight! We’re-“

Time seemed to stand still as Vax turned her head to look at the Knight appearing next to her, Will of Oryx, and then the Knight raised its hand and slapped at Vax, throwing the Warlock high up into the air. Vax’ breath got caught in her throat as the world spun around her, seeming to be in the sky for minutes before she finally felt herself descend. Glide, glide- she fell to the floor with a sickening smack, letting out a yelp before growing quiet, just a bundle of limbs lying motionless on the floor.

Levi didn't even flinch. He didn't even turn around. All he heard was the impact of Vax against a composite floor- the telltale sign of a hard hit. He peered at the Hive Knight, cocking his head almost quizzically. "You really shouldn't have done that. Now I'm angry." 

The Hive crowd pulsed around him again; Deia ran back to Vax, her Ghost beginning to heal the Warlock as the Hunter picked her up. "Shit, Noct, give me some cover here! We're not going to transmat out, we need to get her some medical attention or she's going to die here, there's too many Hive around to res!" Under her helmet, the small smirk she had up until this point had disappeared, as she tore Vax's helmet off. A small blush could probably have been seen, if not for the girl's helmet. Levi is lucky, fucker. Wait, Levi-

All of a sudden, a wave of fire pushed the Hive away from Levi. His researcher's robe was torn; otherwise, he was fine. A long, fiery sword was in his right hand, and the tip of it burned the ground with a fire hotter than anything these paltry, infested enemies could conjure with their magicks. As the thrall and acolytes near Levi were burned away, the Knight was the only being that was powerful enough to resist the Light and heat emanating from the Exo. He glided into the air, sending bolts of fire towards the rest of the Hive; the fire emanating from him seemed to glow like wings from his back. 

Noct had to put a barrier down to protect the other three from the fire. A smile crept onto Levi's face, an angry smile, one not of joy, but of malice. "You won't be touching her again, will you?" A few singed stragglers ran away, as Levi touched back on the ground, fire subsiding.

The Knight seemed to smirk as it watched Levi destroy its pawns, raising its large sword and then stabbing it into the ground, a wave of heat and fire travelling towards the Guardians. Even before the wave had been disappeared the Knight picked its sword back up and threw it at Levi, the sharp edge barely missing the Warlock as it cut into the ground. 

Vax whimpered in Deia’s hands, slowly awakening as she was healed. “G-Ghost,” she murmured, trying to focus her eyes but her eyelids too heavy. She groaned in pain, then, unable to move her body. “What-“ she managed to glance to the left, and her eyes finally focused on Levi and the Knight. And the Knight’s title. Her breath stopped for a moment as she processed it, then she just let herself hang weakly in Deia’s arms, too pained to try and fight. “Oryx...” she breathed, Ghost appearing over her body as it scanned and tried to heal her. 

“There’s too many Hive, they seem to be blocking off the Light,” it said softy, voice with an edge of frustration and worry. “Maybe the server room will be protected enough but we need to go there now or she may die and I’ll be too weak to resurrect her.” it looked up to Deia, something like fear in its glowing blue optics.

Deia sighed, ripping her cloak to tie a makeshift bandage around a bad cut that hadn't healed all the way, on Vax's hand. The Darkness around here is smothering. "Don't be so dramatic, we'll be fine. Come on, lean on me, the other two will cover us." Deia helped Vax up, an arm over her shoulder. She helped the warlock walk, holding a revolver with her other hand. Noct nodded at them, switching to a different weapon; they were all running out of ammo. The three gingerly crept around the scene of Levi and the Knight, and a ring of fire remained, cutting the two off from Vax, Noct and Deia. 

"Go, I'll be fine. It's time I actually pull my weight for once. You guys get to the safe room, and heal Vax. I'm right behind you." Levi looked back, but averted his eyes from Vax. I can't look at her. I'll fall weak. The siblings will take good care of her. The Knight's sword had embedded itself into the ground, and Levi picked it up, his own fire burning down the blade, igniting the chitin it was made out of. "You think you can just toss us around like that? Like we're lesser heretics or something?" The Exo's voice was loud, and angry- just about furious, more than the cold tone that he used previously. 

The Knight roared, and innate power surrounded its claws. Levi ran towards the Knight, slashing across its chest, fire erupting where it hit. The intensity of both dark and Light fire was almost unbearable, smoke rising from the area, sand burning to glass.

Deia pulled Vax away to the server room "Come on, he can handle himself, we have to get you safe! Leave it to Levi to fucking reveal a fantastical new power when we're all busy." Noct followed, covering their escape.

Vax weakly leaned onto Deia, all Light once again drained from her as the hunter and Titan escorted her into the room. She looked back at Levi before the door closed, heart caught in her throat. Please. She groaned in pain when she got sat down, her body aching and protesting. “B-broken,” she managed to whisper without any ease. “My body- broken,” she leaned her head back as she closed her eyes, her and Deia’s companion working together to heal the Warlock. 

Outside she could hear the battle, Levi’s angry shouts and the roars of the Knight. Will of Oryx.“That Knight,” she started on a mumble, opening her eyes heavily and looking at Noct and Deia. “Oryx. He- I killed him. How...” she breathed, slowly feeling the Light return to her. Slowly. She felt tears run down her cheeks but she was too weak to wipe them away, fear had her in its grip once again. “Help Levi,” she then said, voice with an edge of commanding. “That’s an order- please,” she grumbled, trying to move herself to get up. “Otherwise I -“ she slid back down the wall with a painful thud, grimacing. “Fuck.”

She listened intently to Levi’s battle, Ghost’s optic sometimes wavering upwards to the closed door.

Suddenly, a haunting roar shook the buildings around them; glass broke, sand whipped into the air. The area was totally silent, what little activity remained from the Frozen Hive was dissipated by their fear. Vax and company could only wait with apprehension- the siblings didn't know what to do, other than help Vax stand. 

Then, the doors flung open. A singed and tattered Levi walked through, dragging the Hive sword behind him. Whether it was a trophy or some sort of memento, he sheathed the thing on his back, as most of his weapons were out of ammo and lost. The doors closed, and Levi took his helmet off, running to Vax. "Hey, are you alright? Talk to me, Vax, tell me you're okay." For someone who had taken on what was close to an Ascendant Knight and lived, he seemed calmer than he should be. A tight hug from him squeezed Vax- Levi was warm to the touch, almost hot. As the two hugged, Deia and Noct sat with their backs to the door, finally letting the tension release from their bodies. 

"Next patrol, can we go someplace nice? Like New California?" Deia chuckled a bit, shedding her helmet as well. She couldn't take her eyes off of Vax. 

"Or Luna. Very quiet." Noct added, checking an ammo cartridge.

Vax gasped when the door opened, body tense even through the pain. “L-Levi-“ she breathed, blinking heavily as she leaned against him, body aching. More tears welled in her eyes, and she shook her head. “I’m- fine, I’m fine. I’m being healed, slowly,” she swallowed thickly, grimacing from his hug but hugging back as much as she could. 

She still couldn’t get over the Knight, but she couldn’t break down now, she shouldn’t. She stumbled away from Levi and towards the console, feeling everybody’s eyes on her. “We didn’t know to expect this,” she said softly, turning on the computer and typing in the access codes before stepping aside weakly and vaguely making a motion towards the computer. “There is the database. Everything you need to know,” she ran a hand through her hair, huffing out a breath as she let herself slide down to sit down, breathing heavily as she closed her eyes. 

She was hurting all over, body aching, but the healing slowly helped her feel better. Had it truly been worth it to get here? 

“I think.... we just killed the last bit of Oryx,” she said softly, looking up and then blinking as she realised Deia had been staring at her. Weird.

Deia looked away quickly as Levi walked to a console, tapping the keyboard. "It's logical to assume that Oryx had an agent to watch over Nokris and Xol, before this all got frozen over. They were dangerous to us AND the Hive. The poor sap probably didn't even know that his King was dead- thanks to Ms. Taken Queen over here." He winked at Vax, garnishing a weird look from the group. "Wow, okay, no Sword Logic jokes for you all. Tough crowd." The tap tap tapof his gloved fingers on the keyboard began something in the server farm- multiple nodes powered on, fans started to spin, lights began to shine. 

A login screen appeared. "Voice regognition required." A loudspeaker rang out, dust shaking from the speakers in the ceiling. Levi looked at the screen quizically, stopping his typing. 

"Well, that's not good." Noct piped up, wiping his brow. "Maybe we could go ask Ana Bray...?"

Levi shook his head. "No, no, I think I got this." He cleared his throat. "Uhm... Dr. Leviticus Bray." A loud, Microsoft XP-like chime rang from the same speakers, and the screen began to flash with console commands and login screens. "I think that worked..." His fingers began to tap again, windows popping up with multiple queries.

Vax simply looked at Levi, his joke falling flat after everything that had just happened. She averted her gaze to the floor with a quiet sign, starting to move her healed arms slowly. She froze when Levi spoke up. That name. 

“Bray?” she inquired softly, looking back at her lover. “Leviticus Bray? How-“ she blinked, then wincing when her ribs ached particularly bad. She huffed, growing quiet once again. With that name he seemed to have been family of Ana Bray, who knows what that meant. It raised more questions than it answered however, why was he an Exo if he had been part of the Bray family? Why- Vax bit her lips. This wasn’t her problem, this was Levi’s thing, she had no reason to interfere. 

In the half darkness of her corner she looked at her fireteam, looked the tired Hunter and Titan over. She had failed their first mission, how could they possibly trust her as a fireteam leader now? She fucked up. She looked back at the floor, sitting there brooding as her broken body finally finished healing. She slowly moved her legs, arms, feet, hands, making sure everything was working properly. 

She didn’t get up, however, quietly speaking up. “That database is a goldmine for every Exo in the Last City.” her voice was almost emotionless, dark shadows from the servers she was sitting against hiding her face. “Should we bring it back with us?”

Levi shrugged, looking at Vax. "Yeah. I don't know if it's who I was or who I am, but my consciousness carried that name at one point. It's been too many reboots to have a total memory of that. I think.... I think I was made an Exo against my will. By a rival company, or BrayTech research center, or something. I don't think I was a Bray by blood, either, just... it's confusing. And troubling. But you're right, we need to get this database back to the Tower. It at least has a good thousand names. Most of the data has been corrupted over time, unfortunately, but it'll mean a lot to any Exo."

A drive ejected from the server tower Levi was working at, and he removed it, the large black rectangle flashing with light. The Exo hooked it to his belt, and the rest of the server farm powered down slowly, lights twinkling off. The sight of him was more unusual than normal; Levi's robes were singed and ripped, the Hive sword on his back glowed with faint energy; the Warlock looked more like a vagrant than a soldier. Levi walked over to Vax, putting his helmet on. "Come on, we could use a night off after all this. The Hive won't be bothering us again."

Noct and Deia stood, taking their positions. Deia stood back, watching the couple as they walked through the door, outside to Mars. She garnished a look from Noct, but she stuck her tongue out at him as a "don't worry about it".

Vax looked up to Levi, then reached for her helmet and put it on, glad to have something covering her face. At this point all she wanted was rest, go lie in bed and just sleep for days on end. She sighed, shoulders slacking as she instinctively reached for her hand cannon and realised it was still outside. "I'm sorry, Levi. The Knight caught me off guard and it - it could've killed me, and then you. It almost did. I'm sorry," her voice was uncharacteristically quiet and filled with anxiety as she reached her hand out and just took hold of Levi's pinky finger, biting her lips. "Can we go back to the lake? Just take the night off over there." she requested softly, not looking Levi in the eyes. 

She walked outside into the scalding hot sun and walked over to her gun, taking it off the ground and putting it in her holster. She cleared her throat and then spoke up, forcing herself to speak loudly. "I think we're all low, if not empty, on ammo. Let's go back to the Tower and hand in the drive to the Vanguard, they'll know what to do with it," she looked at the drive on Levi's belt, then at the Exo himself. He looked tattered. She clenched her fist next to her, clenching her jaw as she looked out over the Guardians present. "I'm sorry for bringing all of you in this mess. As your fireteam leader I should have paid more attention to our surroundings." with that, she turned on her heels and started walking back from where they came, scout rifle in her hands so they were occupied.

Right when she turned around, Deia was there, hands on her hips. "You're kidding me, right? That was fun as hell, and much more exciting than the shit we usually do. Just because you got slapped by a Knight doesn't mean this was a failure of a mission. Hell, it was pretty much a success. Stop being dramatic, we're all ok." 

Noct was leaning on a railing behind Vax, nodding as well. "Good mission. Went okay. No one died, so...?"

Levi walked over and took Vax's hand, squeezing it gently. "They're right, you did fine. From what you've been through, you can afford to just sit back, and tell us what to do. Everything's fine, you're more of a leader anyways. It's time to let other people do the work, eh?" His voice was calm and slow; he was trying to talk in soothing tones, to make Vax less anxious, to make her feel better, to assure her that everything would be fine. "I know you've been through ten times what we have. You're The Guardian. Isn't it time to let someone else do all these fantastical things? You need to focus on your health too, Vax. I promise, we'll be fine. But, yes, we can go to the lake, too." He rested his helmet against hers.

Vax let out a breath, instinctively moving a hand over her helmet as if pushing back her hair. "I... don't like failing," she admitted softly to her team, then smiling a bit as she rested her helmet against Levi's. "But thank you, guys. I appreciate your input," she looked up to her team, an embarrassed blush on her hidden face as she fidgeted with her gun a bit. "I'll be fine, the Oryx thing just spooked me a bit," she shrugged, turning back away from her team as she continued their walk towards the exit of the facility again.

Levi was right, but she didn't want him to be. Of course after everything she was allowed to take a day off and let other people handle it for a while but, she didn't want that, she wanted to stay in the action. 

Once they had reached the exit, she stretched, calling in for her ship. "Let's go back to Tower. I would call this a ... successful mission despite what happened. Noct, Deia, I - thank you for coming with us. I know I've been rough on you guys but truly I do want to make this work," she nodded firmly, hands fidgeting a bit. "Let's go on more missions, less... dark ones. I think that could be fun," she smiled at them, hoping it reached her voice so they knew she was being honest. She then turned to Levi, voice softer now. "Levi, did you - did you find anything about you? Or ... not?" she asked carefully, watching her ship approach the landing zone.

The two Awoken siblings nodded in tandem. Noct transmatted out, but before his sister did, the short girl turned around sighing. "Vax, I said you were pretty good. I haven't changed my mind. You didn't fail, just because we had a hiccup. Remember that." She disappeared as well, leaving the two Warlocks alone.

Levi leaned on a railing, looking down at his hands. He mumbled for a few moments before clearing his throat; he was having trouble finding the words to explain what he had saw. Finally, he looked at Vax after a moment. 

"Pain. Lots and lots of pain. I was a researcher at BrayTech. Married into the family, or something like that. Applications of infusing Light into weaponry. Well, I was just as smug as I used to be, and a rival company took offense to it. I was kidnapped when I was researching by myself, late at night. They forced my consciousness into an Exo frame. An Exo frame I designed. Call it dramatic irony, if you will, but it seems like I fashioned my own prison."

The Exo dry swallowed, shaking his head. "The last thing I saw was instruments and probes and knives sticking into me, out of me, cutting me up. It was terrible. My first death. Next thing I know, I'm waking up with Shelley telling me I'm stuck in a Vault. I can barely feel, barely see. But you know about that part already."

"In my 12 reboots I haven't ever seen something like this, I don't think."

Vax looked at Levi with softness in her eyes, a frown worrying her face. “That’s.... awful,” she said softly, hand moving to hold onto his, squeezing it. She bit her lips, unsure what to say. “Did these... memories just pop up like that?” she watched as the Hive and Cabal fought each other outside, shots ringing through the air. 

The Warlock sighed, leaning herself against Levi as if to soothe him. “I noticed at the lake for the first time. And since then it seemed to happen more often,” she entwined their fingers, gripping his hand tightly and holding it close against her. “I’m sorry though, Levi. All of that must’ve been horrendous,” she whispered, leaned heavily against her lover.

The Exo put an arm tightly around her, sighing. "I think it's just memory association. Being here, around Mars. I can almost remember when it was lush and cool, thanks to the Traveler."

He looked around, up at the sky. "Look at me, I've been through 12 reboots and I can still remember who I was before the Collapse. Any other Exo, or Guardian for that matter, would be jealous. I could care less. I would much rather focus on what I'm doing now, or who I'm doing now." He smirked at the little quip, squeezing the hand on Vax's shoulder. He seemed back to normal; or, as normal as a Guardian could be, with a sword of darkness and an entire new set of powers under their metaphorical belt. Levi felt, as always, comforted by Vax's presence. He might not be the most reliable, but he hoped that she knew how much she meant to him. How much she's helped him grow, and change, as a person. 

"The more things change, the more they stay the same. Knowing who I was doesn't change who I am. I'm still here for you, princess."

Vax couldn’t help but smile at Levi’s lame joke, nudging him a bit and then gently resting her head against him, perhaps forgetting, if only for a moment, that they were in enemy territory. She sighed and stayed standing a moment more, Levi’s presence enough to calm her. “I love you,” she said softly, then, cocking her head as she looked at the Exo. “I’m- eternally grateful that you crossed my path.” she moved to wrap her arms around him, pulling him into as tight a hug their armour allowed. 

She held him there for a while, simply resting against his slender body as she hugged him. It felt safe to have him with her, and the thought of losing him...

The Warlock let out a chuckle, seeming to bury her face into his shoulder as she mumbled, “This is probably a really inappropriate time but I- I really want to fuck you right now,” she bit at the inside of her cheeks, opening her eyes to look at the walls behind her lover. “I can’t lose you, I don’t want to die, I-“ she sighed, growing quiet.

"I love you too. Don't worry. I promise we have all the time in the world. I didn't let anything happen to you, did I?" He grasped her close, trying to assure her of his words. "You let me be the one to jump into danger. You're more important than I am, anyways." They embraced, and Levi realized he felt at home again. Even in a desert, in one of the most hostile places in the solar system, he felt at home in her arms. 

Levi jumped at her request, chuckling a little bit to himself. "Someone wants to work off some adrenaline, huh? I mean, I'm a little sweaty, and I don't like sand, but I guess we could do it here. Little close to the front lines, but oh well." The exo even began to undo a couple of belts, to drive the joke home, trying to shock Vax out of her stupor.

Vax grumbled, but she couldn’t stop the stupid grin from showing up on her face. She moved her hands to Levi’s, holding them as she leaned her helmet against his. “Levi,” she chuckled softly, gently moving his hands away from his belts. “You’re a jokester, but obviously I do not mean here,” she glanced at where Ana was situated, then back to the Exo. 

“Besides, you told me you don’t sweat,” she grinned then, not wanting to move away from their perfect bubble. “I’d love to see you try soon, though,” she purred on a whisper, her hands moving to his helmet as if to cup his cheeks, the Awoken smiling. “Let’s go, shall we? I have s report to file. And we have a lake to go to.”

With that, she gently stepped out of Levi’s space and transmatted herself into her ship, a purple blush on her cheeks. She knew he had been joking, yet watching him undo those belts had gotten her more flustered than she’d typically like to admit.

"Ugh. Paperwork." Levi had his feet up in her ship, not letting Vax get away that easily. "And even if I don't sweat, it's a figure of speech." The Guardian cracked his neck, taking his helmet off and laying it on the seat next to him. A stifled yawn followed. "Hey, we made it through, I feel like we need some time to relax. Maybe we could meet up with a couple of other Guardians, hit up the City tonight. I know of a few nice bars and clubs. I'd like to see "The" Guardian of mine get down and dirty on the dance floor. I know you hate crowds, but it's fun to let loose sometimes." 

Levi got up and walked behind Vax's pilot seat. His hands found her shoulders, fingers tracing circles on the armor pads. "Pwease? I promise we'll start slow. Besides, Saladin told me someone couldn't hold her liquor. I'd pay so much Glimmer to see that in action. ....I'm probably not helping my case here, though."

Shelley giggled, transmatting next to the two. "Don't listen to him, Levi gets drank under the table by so many people. Cayde, Amanda Holliday, Ace and Cayde at the same time... I could go on, actually, I keep a list."

The Warlock pushed the Ghost away. "Plus, a lot of other Guardians frequent the clubs. And it's not like there's a dress code, you could wear some of the fancy stuff you like so much..."

The Warlock rolled her eyes fondly, sitting down in her pilot seat with ease before unclasping her helmet and placing it down. “I’m sorry, Levi, you’ll have to go clubbing on your own. Flashing lights tend to trigger flashbacks,it’s not a pretty sight,” she hummed matter-of-factly, signalling to Noct and Deia that they were going before her ship entered hyperspace. 

She looked behind and up to Levi a bit, an almost guilty smile on her face. “I’m really one who prefers quiet nights with a book. I don’t mind if you’d go on your own, though,” she got up and gently nudged Levi out of the way as she walked to the back of her ship, taking a gun off of its holder. “Saladin likes clubbing too, if I remember correctly. Why not take him?” she was completely serious, eyes cast downward as she started taking apart the gun at a table. “Or find a club that doesn’t flash its lights often, then I’ll join. For you.”

She was silent for a moment before she opened her mouth, “He said I couldn’t hold my liquor? I barely drink,” she chuckled, wiping at the trigger of the gun with a cloth. “Saladin is the one who gets clingy as hell when he’s drunk. Tries to get in your pants,” she laughed softly, remembering when they had been drinking that one night in their apartment. 

“Levi, I can wear those fancy clothes whenever I want. And you can tear them off afterwards, you just haven’t asked.” she purred, a tiny smirk on her face.

"I'm sure I can find something right for you. I'm sorry, I forgot how reserved you can be sometimes." Levi kissed her forehead as he walked close to her, sighing happily. "And I didn't think you needed any improvement to your beauty, hut maybe you could do a fashion show for me one time." The Exo smirked, sitting back down. "But, seriously, I used to love going to some heavy raves. Some real shady places, and whole crowds of heathens. Deia and I would get trashed. Noct would say we were catching up on a college party phase we never had." 

He chuckled. "I think you've helped me mature, at least a little bit. In the good way. I don't think I've made a suicide run in, oh..." checks a nonexistent watch "about five or six days. I've even been... talking with the Vanguard about missions. Am I finally becoming old? Is this what if feels like?" He crooked his bad arm over his head, faking a woe is me pose as he reclined on the bench; his eyes were fake closed. Drama 101, apparently.

The Warlock hummed simply at Levi’s words, a small and content smile on her face as she reassembled the gun with the ease of somebody who’s done it for years. “You’re being dramatic,” she teased, getting up and putting the gun back on its holder carefully. She breathed out softly as she lowered her hands, looking at the gun for a moment before turning her head to Levi. Her eyes were filled with something not quite familiar. “You’re 400 years old, right?” 

She averted her eyes downwards to the side, deep in thought. “I... realised that properly a while ago. How long you’ve been on this Earth without- well, anything really,” she reached up towards the bags in nets and then pulled out something long and thin protected within a blanket. “I had something made for you a while ago.” she looked down at the object in her hands, closing her eyes for a moment. “I thought, you’re a reckless man for 400 years old. Yet, you are still alive, even through the Red War. And I thought, then, that I am not that reckless. And I have almost died more times than you, so perhaps... it’s the reckless people who will survive to see another day,” she opened her eyes to look back at Levi, smiling. “Think of this as a gift to remember me by, if I were to ever pass before you.” she gently handed Levi the package. 

Inside was a long and thin sword, perfectly crafted with a few simple yet beautiful decorations. Its blade was protected within a sheath crafted just as masterfully, snugly hugging the blade.

Vax, once again, held the record for being the only person that could render Levi speechless; he picked up the blade from her hands, holding it gently, as if he was holding the scepter of a king. He stood for a moment, just beholding the weapon in his hands. "This is easily the greatest present anything has ever given me. I mean, it's one of the only presents I've ever been given, but this easily takes the cake." A soft scraping sound filled the room as the warlock slid the blade out of its sheath; a slightly worn blade led down to a simple hilt and a hand-and-a-half grip. The blade seemed to hum with some sort of energy- it was obviously powerful, but elegant. 

"It's- it's infused with Light. I don't know how, but it is. It probably wouldn't break if an elephant stepped on it. Where did you find this, babe? Shaxx would squeal if he found something like this..." As he finished the sentence, the sword seemed to glow, ever so faintly, with purple Light. Barely enough to notice, but it was there.

"I- I should name it. Unless it already has a name?" A soft smile filled his face, unconsciously. He wasn't even trying to, but his face beamed with excitement.

“It doesn’t have a name yet,” Vax hummed, a soft look in her eyes as she watched Levi admire the sword. “I had it forged by one of the forgers in the City, and then I asked him if he could infuse it with some of my Light.” she sat down next to where Levi had sat, a content look on her face. She extended her arm and moved to touch the blade with her fingertips, the blade promptly starting to glow brighter with Light. 

“As I said, just something to remember me by if I were to pass before you,” a purple blush crept on her face, and she almost embarrassedly tucked some hair behind her ear. “I have a similar sword hanging in my apartment, I don’t know if you’ve seen it, but... if we were to ever lose our Light again...”

"They would be enough to take care of us, or least they would help." Levi sheathed the sword, attaching it at the hip. "You always, somehow, know how to surprise me." He walked over, putting his hands on her shoulders, "I think I need to give it some time. I don't know a name for it yet, and Nameless would be a poor choice. I want it to be something special. As special to me as you are. I want to make all the other Guardians jealous." A hug followed the words, and Levi was radiating happiness. He glowed (figuratively) with gratitude. 

He'd changed, from the inherently smug asshole he was a year ago.

A purple and content blush crept on Vax' cheeks, a happy smile gracing her features as she lovingly hugged Levi back. "You'll come up with something amazing, I'm sure," she hummed, nuzzling into Levi's shoulders. "You've changed quite a bit since I've met you, it's... it's almost mesmerising to see the difference," she pulled away a bit enough so that she could look Levi into his eyes, grinning. "I love you." she simply said then, leaning in to kiss him gently, just as her ship exited hyperspace.

She rocked slightly backwards with the motion, pulling away from Levi to access her console. She typed a bit and then hummed, nodding. "All right, let's get back to the Tower and get this data delivered."

Levi sat, placing the sword across his lap. A few minutes passed before he spoke again, only a few decibels above a whisper.

"Memory's Reprieve. I think I've had the privilege of not giving a care about a lot in the world. My memories, or lack thereof, have given me a reprieve, for far too long. Maybe it's a good thing I'm getting these flashbacks, huh? Maybe we can help other Exos, too. And other Guardians." Levi leaned back a little, resting his head, with his eyes closed. The fatigue from the mission was finally catching up with him; they had been through a small army of Hive, after all. For now, the tension had dissipated from his body. 

"Well, Princess, what's next, after we deliver this? We still have a month minus two days, before I leave for the mission. I think I'm done being babysat, for now, so you're the boss. I'm up for anything, as long as it's fun." He smiled, putting his hands behind his head, reclining even more.

The sleek red-colouerd ship easily maneuvered itself to the hangar of the Tower, Vax letting out a breath as it stayed hovering, waiting for the Guardians to exit. The Warlock looked back to Levi, smiling. "Maybe you should show your friends that awesome new sword you just got," she winked almost playfully as she gathered her helmet. "Memory's Reprieve," she then noted, as if the words just now fully hit her. She turned back to Levi, head tilted to the side questioningly. "How can we help other Guardians? Not everybody remembers things, sometimes it has to be ... triggered." she spoke carefully, a worrying frown starting to crease her forehead as if deep in thought. She was silent for a moment before shrugging, almost hesitantly so, as she came back to the present. 

"Let's get out of this ship first," she changed subjects with a tap at Levi's raised arms, a soft glance in her eyes as she looked him over. "And maybe after that we can take a nap, you seem exhausted and frankly, I could use a good cuddle from my favourite Exo. If we have a month left until your mission, I suggest we take it easy and go to the lake another time." 

She raised her hand halfway to signal the transmat, when she halted and pursed her lips, as if just now realising something else. "Actually, if you'd prefer to hang out with your friends - please do. I can imagine you wanting to, don't let me stop you." she made sure, nodding firmly to Levi to show she meant it.

"No, no, I'd much rather stay with you. Besides, I haven't been to any club in years. I'm not a regular anymore. I would be perfectly happy coming home, to cuddle with you. maybe order takeout." Levi peeked out one eye, catching Vax staring at him. "But in answer to your earlier question, maybe I could make that a job. Search old research centers for databases, maybe even physical records, anything that might be a real name or a place where a house used to be. I know it's taboo that guardians find their past, but... maybe if someone else did it for them, no one would get into trouble." The Exo stood, stretching a bit, standing and walking closer to Vax.

"And don't think I didn't catch you staring at me, young lady. Maybe we wouldn't have such trouble on missions if you paid attention to the battle and not me..." he teased, poking her shoulder playfully as they transmatted out of the ship.

Vax snorted, chuckling as she transmatted away beside Levi. “You hardly distract me during battle,” she nudged at his side as they walked towards Noct and Deia. “But if I’m off duty... that’s a different story.” she winked at the Exo and then hopped over to the Hunter and Titan, nodding at them in greeting. “Thank you for joining us. I know I was a bit stiff at the beginning but - I appreciate your efforts and help,” she smiled at the two, hoping they knew how sincere she was. “I would love to assist any of you in any future endeavours. If,” she looked at Levi sternly, but only half serious. “I get to know all the details needed.”

“I’ll write the report for Ikora while Levi hands off the data, if you have anything you want me to put in the report, send Ghost a ping and we’ll add it.” she then grew silent, looking at Levi and the sword in his hand almost invitingly.

The two siblings nodded (whether they were nodding to acknowledge or nodding asleep was up for debate) and departed into the busy hangar, being lost into the crowd. 

Levi had strapped the sword to his side, the pommel and hilt resting right near his left hand. His helmet was off, and he seemed tired, yet energized- his new fire burned in his eyes. Ever since he had met Vax, he had gone from a scientist in shambles, into a prideful warrior. For better or for worse, he was more arrogant, more skilled, and somehow even more willing to jump headfirst into danger, for personal gain above all else. Whether this was Vax's affect on him, or a natural progression remained to be seen. 

The Warlock hugged Vax suddenly from behind, tightly wrapping his arms around her. "Hey. I told you everything would work out with that mission. Let the pawns do the fighting; we're here to protect you, Ms. Future Warlock Vanguard. And added bonus, we have a huge database for the City. I think it's a win through and through. But what are our plans tonight, o girlfriend mine?"

The red-haired Warlock made a noise of surprise as Levi wrapped his arms around her, and she huffed bemusedly. "Yes, you did tell me." she acknowledged, not moving as Levi simply held her. She reveled in the silence for a moment before she simply smiled, a soft glance in her eyes as she leaned back into Levi's arms.

"I still really want to go back to the lake," she sighed almost dreamily. "Just set up a tent and go swimming again, the cool water against my skin. I quite liked it last time." she turned herself around in Levi's arms, wiggling her hands free to cup his face and gently kiss the corner of his mouth. "If you'd like to join me, of course. We still have a while until Saladin's back, we should enjoy the exclusive time." she noted, nuzzling against Levi comfortably.

"I think that would be perfect."

Two months later.

Levi had been gone a month, with no contact to anyone on the Tower. Radio silence through and through. No Guardian had heard from his Fireteam; and they had been gone for longer than the Vanguard had expected. 

It was a rainy fall night. A Postmaster frame knocked on Vax's door; it held a purple-and-gold coin in its hand. 

The coin had a symbol on the front: A triangle, with a circle at the top point, embossed into it.

On the back, two words were scratched in. 

Find us.

It had been a month since Levi's disappearance. 

It's all Vax could think about, a permanent frown furrowed on her usually smooth skin as she sat at her desk late at night. Saladin was sleeping, had tried to get her to go to bed too, but she had to read all the reports of Guardians, wishing, hoping, that they'd tell her something. Anything. Tears rimmed her eyes when she finished the stack of datapads, the Warlock taking in a shaky breath as she once again turned up empty-handed. She stood up and just turned off the light, rubbing at her eyes. Just like Eris, was all that was spooking through her mind as she lay herself down next to Saladin, staring up at the dark ceiling.

When the knock on the door came, she immediately got up and rushed over, swinging the door open, hoping- "Oh." she murmured, looking at the frame for a moment before taking the coin she was handed. Wait. Coin?

She thanked the frame and shut the door, moving to the desk and turning the light back on. Her heart was pounding as she inspected the shiny coin, the logo familiar to her, though not sure why. She turned it around and then made a noise, running her fingers over the scratched words. "... Levi." she then murmured, biting her lips. She stood there for a moment more in the dark, and then she decided.

She reached for a datapad and quickly swiped through it, doing it a few times more before she found what she was looking for. She pulled up the image and then compared the logo of the coin with the one in the image. "Who are you?" she whispered under her breath, skimming through the report. "Here you are." she then said, a certain tone in her voice that didn't often show itself as she summoned Ghost and had it project the information.

The Leviathan. A large space vessel made by the Cabal currently situated at Nessus, capable of eating planets whole and merely a palace of pleasure for the Emperor.

The Warlock turned off the light and hastily left Saladin a note before she stormed out the door, flames of anger licking at her feet every step on the way to the hangar.

As soon as she spawned on the Leviathan, the huge and almost intimidating vessel, she allowed the flame to surge up all around her, eyes glowing brightly red as she addressed the Emperor.

"All right you ugly space rhino, where is Levi."

A booming, deep, alien voice resounded throughout the walkway to the palace- the squadron of Loyalists also took up arms, forming a defensive position. 

"You must mean the whelp that has been sent to spy on my little piece of the galaxy."

The voice was harsh, as if millions of poorly strung instruments resounded together.

"Unfortunately, I'm not in the mood to have one more fly buzzing around my palace. I've only disposed of one of those three, so far- but I'm willing to add to that number."

The main entrances were guarded by a small legion of Cabal. But a raid on the palace had revealed a secret system of tunnels and service crawlways- the perfect places to hide from the "ugly space rhino".

Vax' breathing halted for a moment, staring up at the sky. Disposed of one of the three. 

She clenched her jaw tightly as she pressed her eyes closed, teeth gritted. "You asshole," she grumbled, hands clenched into tight fists next to her. "I swear, if you've so much as touched them, I will rain down on you with everything I have and destroy every, single, body of you. And if you're left standing after that, somehow, I will personally see to it that I keep punching at you until you fall. And when you fall, not if, but when, I will be there to watch you go under and die by the hands of a mere fly."

With that, she looked up and propelled herself high up into the air, two flaming swords appearing in her hands as she summoned up all the rage inside her and called on the power of the Sun. She let out an angry roar as she raised her arms back, and then threw her swords into two Loyalists, impaling the creatures before they burst into a wall of flames and exploded fire onto their brethren. She threw her right hand to her side, another flaming hot sword appearing, and rocketed that at another group of Loyalists, throwing out a grenade with her other hand.

In the confusion and pain of the Loyalists she let her flaming wings propel her to the tunnels she had read about not an hour ago, running over the pipes while evading the gunfire of the Loyalists not currently burning up.

"Ghost, get me the nearest goddamn point to Levi, scan this entire fucking ship. Scan for Noct and Deia, we're getting our Guardians back."

The maintenance tubes stretched for what seemed like kilometers. There was barely any light, and multiple fans and pipes kept the place hot and humid- easily hotter than Mercury. The hallways wound and wound through the belly of the beast. 

Vax turned a corner, and a blow met her helmet, before two arms pushed her to the wall. The telltale feel of a gun barrel (a hand Cannon, perhaps) pushed against her chest, as a slender arm held her against the wall, by her throat.

In the dark, at the odd angle, it was hard to see who was pinning her to the wall. The darkness didn't last, however- the revolver pressed to her started to flicker with slight flames. 

Deia pressed into her fellow Guardian, a scowl on her face, helmet long gone. "Tell Calus that he can send all the fucking Psions he wants, but we're not going to give up, he can't find us after Ca'uor fucked the last of his forces- motherfucker, I'll kill you- I'll kill-"

"Deia! She's not a Psion!" 

His voice rang out in the hallway, just out of sight. "Calm down, let her go." 

Deia's scowl didn't leave, but the gun lowered.

Vax let out a scream as the blow to her helmet knocked her down and then the two arms pinned her against the wall, a hand sneaking around to her throat. She gasped and struggled instinctively, but she quickly realised it were human hands and human voices. Voices she recognised. "D-Deia," she breathed hoarsely, head pounding as she let herself go slack to signify she wasn't a threat. "It's me- Vax," she then croaked out, before coughing as Deia slightly lessened her grip.

"Goddammit, you two-" she started, then suddenly freezing. She whipped her head around as much as Deia allowed to see Levi standing there, half hidden by the dark. She was speechless, eyes wide behind her visor as she just stood there. She felt tears starting to come up, Levi's familiar face so beautiful. "Your- your faceplate," she started, voice quiet as she took in his broken pieces on his face. She felt as if all power had been drained from her, all the stress and fear from the past month exiting her body at the mere sight of Levi still alive.

"Levi, Deia, what - happened?" she frowned worriedly, looking back at Deia's weathered face. "It's been a month, how... I thought I fucking lost you guys, oh my god." she then murmured, relief washing over her. They may still be in enemy territory, the relief of seeing the faces of those she thought she'd lost, another partner she'd lost, was immense. 

"Where is Noct?" she then asked quietly, the frown returning on her face. "Calus mentioned- having disposed of... one of the three."

Deia grunted, and let Vax go, the woman walking down the hallway a ways as Levi approached where Vax stood. "This was only supposed to be a recon mission to find some sort of structural weakness on the Leviathan. Straight from the Vanguard. (He said this with contempt.) It's like someone on the raid team forgot to mention that our gracious host was psychic and psychotic."

He sat on the ground, almost collapsing. His sword clattered to the floor, and it was obvious they were both exhausted. "Noct died the fifth day we were here. Some psions cornered us into an area we thought was safe. He shielded us from the turrets as long as he could." Levi held his head in his hands, the breaks in his armor became woefully clear as bullet holes. "He's had soldiers waiting at every exit. It's been hell. Deia-" he lowered his voice "Deia hasn't been the same. We can't bring him back, this time. He's gone." 

"The Vanguard had to know how bad this would be. They fucking trained us to die." 

His fists clenched. "I'm going to kill that heathenous bastard, some day. But we need to get out. Now."

Vax was silent as she watched Deia walk away and then saw Levi sit down. “I...” she started, swallowing thickly. “I didn’t know-“ she murmured, closing her eyes as she pushed a hand against her helmet, feeling sick. “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” she whispered then, opening her eyes to look at Deia apologetically. “I should’ve gone with you, or- or we should have talked to the Vanguard, we-“ she stopped herself, swallowing. 

She looked down at Levi, and her heart broke. He looked so lost, yet always so defiant. 

It had been a month. 

She sighed shakily and moved her arms up to unclasp her helmet, pulling it off and kneeling down in front of Levi. She set it down and then pulled her gloves off before reaching up and cupping Levi’s broken cheek, running her thumb over some cracks. “Oh- Levi,” she whispered brokenly, a deep frown worrying her face. “I- I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

It was all she could say as she pulled her lover in a tight hug, some quiet tears escaping over her cheeks as she held him close against her, her dear Exo

Levi didn't move or say anything. A deep sigh escaped his lips. "I'm done with being taken advantage of. From now on, I do missions on my own terms."

It's if he didn't even acknowledge Vax was there. Whatever drive fueled him was flickering out- it seemed like he requested assistance from Vax for simple backup, not because he was special to her. Something had worked its way into his psyche, and he seemed different; like night from day. 

To put it in no uncertain terms, he was sick of this shit. 

Deia walked back to them, checking the few remaining rounds in her bandolier. "We'd better get moving. Hourly patrol is coming in fifteen minutes. 

Levi broke free from the embrace, helping Vax up. "Come on, she's right. I'm hoping that you caused enough of a distraction on the way in to open up a hole in their security."

Levi looked away. "I'm glad you came. But we've got to get to safety before we can mourn anything or anyone. I'm not letting anyone else die in here."

Vax felt his coldness, she couldn’t deny it, and it hurt. But she had no time to think about it, wiping at her tears before getting up with Levi’s help. She gathered her helmet and gloves and put them back on, before dividing her ammo in three. “Here.” she said shortly, handing Levi and Deia the ammo. “I can transmat weapons from the vault. We can fight our way out of this.”

She really wanted to focus on what was happening right now, the escape, but all she could notice was that Levi barely addressed her as anything but formal. 

She let Levi and Deia lead the way, occasionally checking behind her to make sure they were safe. “I... have my ship staying close by the entrance, cloaked. If we can get in its range Ghost can transmat us away.” she noted to the two Guardians, eyeing their beat up gear again. This wasn’t looking good. 

“Do you have enough Light left for another super? Deia, if you can tether the enemies Levi can use his Dawnblade or Voidwalker to chain kill them. With that, I should be able to quickly recharge my Dawnblade, and then we can clear a full path. We can do this, we can get out of here.”

This was just like Mars, except she now had two Guardians exhausted and angry, perhaps unable to muster up their supers, and running low on ammo. 

Vax didn’t want to think about what would happen if they lost.

Levi stood silently, as some the weight of the mission seemed to lift from his shoulders. 

"Vax." The name seemed to echo throughout the ship, even though Levi spoke it at barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry, we lost a bit of ourselves in here. But you being here to back me up, as you always do..." The Warlock began to walk to the exit of the tunnel, garnering a confused look from the two behind him. "I'm done with this. I'm done with so much. But I am especially sick and done with this bourgeois paradise of sadism that a giant rhino has set up."

As his voice raised and reverberated through the tunnels, sounds of a Cabal squad began to get louder and louder- they must have Interceptors.

Sparks began to fly from Levi, small arcs of electricity flying from his fingers and arms. 

"The universe has been unkind to me so far. I don't think I should hold back any more."

The Interceptors rounded a corner, and in the split second before they began firing, Levi Glided into the air, and the space filled with the smell of ozone. The Exo shoved a hand forward. and his Arc , his Light coalesced into a beam of destruction that would make any being afraid- a Chaos Reach that shook the entire area around them, a Reach so intense it seemed to burn the very fabric of reality around it.

The Cabal ceased to exist, and Levi fell to the floor, falling to his knees. "Way...ahead's...clear..." he spoke between heavy breaths, looking down the hallway.

Vax blinked with silent questions as she watched Levi walk towards the exit of the tunnel. "Levi-" she started, raising a hand almost in warning fo the threat that was awaiting them, when that beautiful, genius Exo activated an Arc super the likes she hadn't quite seen before. The electricity crackled in the air as Levi demolished the Psions and their interceptors alike, sparks lighting up the dark tunnel a shade of blue couldn't help but love. 

She ran over when Levi collapsed. Despite the situation, despite the coldness of the man she loved, she couldn't help but have a massive grin on her face. "You beautiful, beautiful Exo," she whispered when she helped him up, elated "You just came up with a new Arc super when you were here? Genius." she wiped some dirt off his cheek, handing him back his gun. "That got me my super back, thank you." she made sure he was okay and able to walk before she looked around. 

"Cabal in the immediate vicinity seem dead, though I'm sure Calus has set up a whole perimeter around the ship's transmat zone." she chewed her lips, tapping her finger impatiently on her Nameless Midnight's outer casing. "Deia, I don't know which super you're running but if it's crowd control, that'd be splendid. I can use mine to take down a boss if Calus gives us one." she looked back at the two Guardians, the two seeming so broken and lost, yet so defiant and ready to fight. She sighed softly, too much on her mind. "We're getting out of here."

"Only gone two months, and you're already talking like the perfect soldier again." Levi teased, his voice lighter than it had been. "We know of an easy way out- there's a secret entrance right outside the main gangway. We weren't able to get out because they shot down out ships... but I don't think they've found yours. If we were coming in it takes six switches, but I bet a Ghost can activate it from the inside, now that we're here. The most we'll have to fight are... oh, a squad of Legionaries and a gaggle of Colossi." Levi stood gingerly, drawing his sword. He had kept the blade pristine, somehow.

"Easy." Deia twirled the cylinder of her last revolver, checking her ammo count. "I've got six bullets, so I can take fifteen or twenty. What about you, Princess?" She walked past Levi, tattered cape fluttering in motion. It was hard to ponder whether she was serious about how confident she really was.

The nickname, she had evidently picked up from Levi, was not meant to be endearing. However, the two seemed a little more energized- whether out of hope or desperation was impossible to tell. All that stood between the three was a small army.

As they walked, Levi spoke to his lover- trying to shake the stupor of desperation with a conversation. "So, we heard rumors about the Prison of Elders being broken into, or a riot. Nothing more than Cabal military reports, of course, but we were curious. Have you heard anything?"

Silence.

Vax couldn't find the words when Levi questioned her, speechless for a quick second before she found her voice again. "I uh... yeah. I was there with Cayde to contain it but - he died. Murdered." her voice was soft, almost careful. "Uldren Sov killed him. I've been hunting him and his barons down, I'm waiting on tips from Spider before I can continue with my hunt, but ... yeah." she looked down, almost ashamed. "I was too late, had I been a minute faster I could've prevented it." she felt angry tears come up, but she sniffed and shook her head, defiant. "Let's not think about that, yeah? It doesn't matter. Right now, we need to get us out of here."

She eyed the Warlock and Hunter, tried to garner their reaction to this news, but she couldn't quite read their faces. She figured with them hating the Vanguard (or their authority, really) they wouldn't really care, yet the energy seemed... quiet, almost mournful. 

"Right then," she broke the silence, walking over to the exit and then standing still. "Traveler, this sucks." she murmured, frowning as she raised her scout rifle to battle position. "Go."

With that, she jumped out of it and threw a grenade to the line of Cabal waiting for them, scattering the enemy away from the exit so they had the space to move. "Move!" she shouted to the duo in the tunnel, skilfully whipping around to shoot the Cabal coming at her.

Levi and Deia both froze at the news of the Vanguard's death- the Exo had survived death for so long that the news took both of the Guardians by surprise. Both made no visible reaction, but a trained eye could see that this news hit them harder than the Cabal did. Deia's grip tightened on her hand cannon. A few extra sparks flew from Levi's hands. 

The curt command of "Move!" shocked them out of their stupor. A small legion of Cabal filled the hallway- about 200 meters lay between them and the secret exit. The red lights of the sights on Caballian rifles shone crimson on the three in the split second of clarity, as Vax relieved two or three Psions from their lives. 

Twelve more fell, within an instant; Deia held up to her promise, as six shots traveled through twelve heads. 

Levi wasn't far behind them. Where his spare sidearm wasn't enough, the vestiges of his Light was. Arc bolts ripped back and forth between the metal armor of the opposing forces, flashing blue-white on the wall, contrasting against the red of the hallway. Vax could have probably felt the malice radiating off of him, the hate towards what his life had becoming. 

She could probably see the rage from Deia, the hole in her life that was now dangerously apparent, with Noct gone for good. 

150 Cabal vs three Guardians? Three tired, weak Guardians? 

The Cabal didn't have time to pray to whatever god they might have believed in.

She decided to ignore it.

The anger, hatred, the emptiness, that Deia and Levi were emitting. Vax couldn’t allow herself to wallow herself in the same feelings, to lose herself to the Darkness she had touched so many times yet never quite commited to. 

It was surprisingly easy to spend her ammo on every single enemy, to pick out their weak points and strike them down with just the one bullet and to see their heads explode. To see the life leave their eyes as they realised they were dying. Dead before even touching the ground. 

She got surrounded, Legionaries all around her as she eyed at Levi and Deia busy with their own killings. Minds probably far, far away from here. 

Her gun jammed, so she used it to punch the Cabal coming for her, cracking it in half and stabbing it into the next wave of enemies instead, losing a treasured and war torn friend. Her knuckles cracked as she punched the Psions and Legionaries, and her gauntlets seem ablaze. She let out a piercing scream as a flaming knife got thrown against her helmet and punctured the glass and then her skin, blood spurting out from the wound as she collapsed to the ground, barely supporting herself. 

Dark red blood streamed from her cheek out onto the floor into a puddle as she vaguely heard the sound of battle, vision blurry and red as she weakly lied on the ground, the knife burning inside her cheek. The Cabal started to move away from her, the fallen Guardian. 

This is no place to die.

She let out a grunt as she scrambled up to her feet, reaching up and pulling the knife out with a cry of pain. She then grabbed the nearest Psion and cut its throat, blood raining onto the ground and the Cabal. 

They crowded towards her again, her one eye tightly shut as blood kept pouring out of the wound, dizziness starting to blur her vision once again. “Levi...!” She then yelled, at the top of her lungs, hoping by the dear Traveler he could hear her and help her out. 

I need to save my super.

A soft "....Vax?" could be heard, as Levi turned around mid-glide, seeing the last being that held him to the Light, the being who WAS his light, fall to common footsoldiers. 

Get your fucking hands off of her, monsters.

Desperation clawed at him like a vulture at old carrion. As soon as he hit the ground, a hoarse "Deia! Cover me!" sounded out from his helmet, and the Hunter backtracked, trying to keep the flood of Cabal at bay. 

My Light's dry. Think. I broke time and space, saving her should be easy.

His foot tapped on a large conduit, and in the split second that it took for the mechanical sensory clusters and nerves to register what it was, he had a plan. 

It's not one of my plans unless I get hurt in the process, eh?

A swift sword swipe cut the conduit, and Arc danced around it. A deep breath preceded a swift jab of Levi's prosthetic, metal arm into it.

Pain. Pain like he had never felt before writhed through his body, energizing the Exo with enough Arc to ignite a Chaos Reach. Ozone filled the air as a larger-than-normal beam of pure Arc eviscerated the Cabal around Vax. Screams of pain continued, and lasted until Levi let go of the conduit.

The other arm the Reach had fired from was a shattered stump, right below the elbow. The stench of burnt fabric and molten metal permeated the air.

Vax let out a pained grunt as the pure and powerful energy of the Chaos Reach erupted around her and vaporised the Cabal in a dazzling lightshow of Arc. the Warlock gripped a ledge in the floor tightly as to not get blown away by the gusts of wind accompanying the power. 

When it ended, she looked up to Levi, a worried glance in her one eye. “... Levi!” she hoarsely called over, wincing in pain as she gathered herself and rushed over to her lover. 

In the middle of battle she found them the one second needed. 

She pushed her helmet against his head almost desperately so, holding it there for the one second as she pressed her eye close, a wordless thank you as her hand gripped tightly onto his broken metal arm. “Can you fight like this?” she whispered, ignoring the blood starting to clot at her wound and drying up on her cheek. “Traveler, you’re marvellous.” she murmured then, a small and loving smile on her face as she grabbed her Positive Outlook. 

She then looked up to Deia, battle forcing her away from her worrisome nature as she had to help. Escape. 

“We’re almost there, we can do this!” she shouted over to Deia, exhaustion starting to tear at her body as she jumped over to help, hoping by the Traveler Levi was okay.

Two Cabal fell, knives sticking out of them. The rest started to recede for the moment, running into relief tunnels and the like. Deia smirked under what remained of her helmet. "Relax, Princess, we're all through here."

Levi stumbled to his feet, holding his sword in his surviving hand. His gaze lowered to his left arm, moving it a little bit. "This is a scratch. My guy at the Tower will have me out of here in no time." The pain in his voice betrayed the words he spoke, but he gave a small look to Vax to reassure her. "I'll be okay. We're almost there. The door is just up ahead."

The Warlock stumbled a bit, trying to stand up straight. "Hey, could someone lend me a hand? Hehe, get it? Lend me a hand..." He chuckled to himself, slashing at a switch on the wall; the main doors opened, and Nessus could be seen through it. 

"Almost home."

Vax looked back at Levi worriedly, heart pounding in her throat with the sudden retreat of the Cabal. She heard Levi’s voice, she recognised the undertones, but she couldn’t act on that now. 

This wasn’t right. 

She looked around the large and empty area behind them, a glance of paranoia in her eyes before turning back to look through the main door. “Something’s wrong.” she then growled, a frown appearing on her face as she raised her gun. “We’re not out of the woods yet, this isn’t right.”

As if summoned, an alarm started wailing through the ship, and Vax cursed as she reflexively pulled Levi and Deia away from the door. 

A voice rang through the ship, and it was recognised as Calus’. 

”You think I’d let you go off that easily? I enjoyed the show, but we’re not done quite yet.” 

His laugh boomed through the vessel as it faded out, and Vax cursed and cursed as she eyed the door meticulously, hands trembling in the anticipation of what’s to come. “I don’t have much of anything left.” she whispered to her friends, worry starting to spread throughout her. She wouldn't be able to do much like this, let alone Levi and Deia who were already exhausted. "My ship, we need - this is an open area. Ghost, call my ship." she spoke fast, seeming to stumble over her words as she so desperately tried to find a way out.

A few Psions making a patrol were caught off guard by Levi and Deia- out of bullets, the two had to resort to hand-to-hand (one unfortunate Psion got stumped-to-death). Catching his breath, Levi stumbled down some steps, as the three approached the bottom of the royal palace. 

The ground rumbled with the feeling of hundreds of footsteps- all above the three exhausted Guardians, Cabal soldiers exited hidden doors and hatches, marching fastly towards the fireteam. The visage of a gigantic emperor exited the main gate, far above them- Calus himself had come to oversee the recapture of Levi and Deia.

They were cornered- their backs against empty space, enemies closing in all around them.

Levi flipped off the Emperor, grabbing Vax's collar. "Don't worry about the ship, dear, I called for backup." As if to launch them into cold space, he pushed off the deck, falling a few feet with Vax, Deia jumping off to follow. 

Before Vax could react, they landed on a seemingly invisible surface, and they rose higher, past Calus, until the entirety of the palace was visible. A hoarse voice arose on the radio: "You'd better be ready to pay up, Levi, after the amount of money I spent on this ammo."

The surface they stood on de-cloaked, and a very familiar Ketch. The old Fallen house insignias had been painted over with Spider's insignia since the last time Vax and Levi had been on the Ketch. 

"Just fire." Levi barely got the words out before a plethora of missiles and lasers bombarded the Cabal. The Calus-bot lost its head (literally) in the chaos- hundreds of Cabal fell into the vacuum of space. 

A hatch opened near the Guardians, and a spiked Vandal motioned them inside.

This may very well be the end.

Vax looked back at the hundreds of Cabal, at the huge machinery she recognised as Calus, and tears sprung to her eyes as she realised they won't make it. "Levi-" she started, looking aside to her beautiful Exo, voice quiet. But said Exo wasn't even paying attention, apparently having some sort of plan, because before she knew it, Levi gripped her collar and pulled her off the ship into the empty space of nothingness.

She didn't expect to land on something. It hurt, but her heart was pounding too rapidly in her chest to even notice, bewilderedly looking around. "Where-" the ship uncloaked, and she let go of Levi's robes. She hadn't even realised she'd clung onto him. "This is -" she couldn't find the words as the ship gave them a perfect sight of the enemies. And then the massacre the ship unleashed onto them, explosions ripping through the void and slaughtering the Cabal and their emperor copy.

Vax scrambled back a bit, breathless. "Spider." she then said, realising, looking back at the Vandal motioning them inside. She winced then, hunching over as the gash in her cheek acted up. "Fuck." she gasped breathlessly, moving over to the hatch and climbing in. 

Inside the ship she sat down on the nearest surface she could find, removing her helmet with a wince and placing it down before pulling her gloves off. She carefully touched at her cut, hands shaking. She watched as Levi and Deia got in the ship as well, a worried frown on her face. "Are you guys okay? Take it easy."

Levi almost collapsed to the ground, slumping against the wall to sit down. The Exo threw his helmet off- it clattered down the hatchway, filling the area with noise. Deia walked out of sight, mumbling something about finding a room to sleep in.

"I can't believe we made it out of there." The Warlock looked at his one remaining hand, checking to make sure all the fingers were there. "I just... I didn't expect to make it out. The message I sent you was by hacking into Nessus' Vex transmat loop, but... I didn't expect it to go through."

The ship shuddered as it entered NLS speeds, flashes of light hurtling past the windows. 

"We barely even got the reconnaissance data we needed. All so the Vanguard could have a map of the Leviathan." His voice turned sour. "Was it worth it? To lose a Titan over a fucking map?" 

His face was one of worry, of sorrow. His eyes were closed. "Vax, I'm glad you're here. And there's no one else who would do that for me, so... thank you."

"Are you going to have a ghost heal your face for you?" Shelley appeared next to Levi. Her shell was cracked and falling apart, but she was alive.

Vax was silent as she watched and listened to Levi, unable to find the words currently needed. She didn't know what to say, hands sort of idling on her lap. 

"I... don't know," she murmured, running a hand through her hair. "I- I thought I lost you." she then whispered, sliding off the surface and walking over to Levi, sitting down next to him. "Of course I'd come get you. I wouldn't leave you to die, I love you."she leaned against Levi, leaning her head on his shoulder as she entwined their fingers. "I'm so sorry to hear about Noct, he - he didn't deserve to die like that. So soon after... yeah. I'm sorry. It's never worth it to lose a Guardian." 

Silence overtook them for a while, the Warlock quiet as she revelledin the safe presence of Levi in the hopes of comforting him.

"I think Ghost is tired. The cut won't heal properly." she broke the silence, moving a hand to touch at the bruised skin, wincing as she felt around. "I uh... this may turn into a scar." she sighed, closing her eyes. "It fucking hurts too." she grew silent again, exhaustion overtaking her, and before long she dozed off against Levi, the steady hum of the Ketch a comforting noise.

As soon as Vax was mostly asleep, Levi stumbled up, gently placing her against the bulkhead and covering her with a blanket. The look on his face was... sorrow. Woe. The weight of a world felt like it was on his shoulders. He couldn't bring himself to wake her. She was always the eye of storm; truly harmony within, hurricane without. 

Shelley healed his wounds, synthetic flesh and metal plate sewing itself together under his robes. The tangled web of hallways spilled into each other as he walked; Levi's "gift" to Spider had been overhauled by many Eliksni engineers, fixing the damage that had been done by the two Guardians, a year before.

The converging hallways grew closer and closer until they met on the Bridge. The hulking form of Spider himself was seated in the Kell's seat in the back of the room, surrounded by many spiky Vandals and Dreg. The crowd parted at Spider's beckon, and Levi walked right up to the throne. With a snap, Shelley transmatted a small mountain of Glimmer and Ether Spirals onto the ground, and the room grew quiet. 

"I've upheld my end of the deal, Spider, now it's your turn to pay up. I want what's due to me. You've had a month to find it."

A raspy laugh echoed throughout the room. "I don't think you know what you're bargaining for, my Exo friend. Maybe that little excursion of yours addled your processors, but of all the things in my collection, you've picked the most dangerous. I hardly think that career Guardian girlfriend of yours would approve of you being a... motivator for me, soon enough."

"Assassin." Levi stared at a cache at Spider's feet. "The word you're looking for is assassin."

"Yes... at any rate, I'll grant you a little time to get your affairs in order. Deia's already taken her ship, gone to wherever she'll start her part of the job. And Levi-" a motion of two arms signaled a Vandal to kick open the chest, and Levi approached the opening.

"...take it from me, sooner or later, you're going to miss having your brain to yourself."

The Claws of Ahamkara sat inside the chest. A new helmet and robes sat there as well: black and gold, emblazoned with the symbol of Spider on their front. 

A hesitant Levi reached slowly, hesitant. As a finger brushed against a feather, it felt like bolts of fire rocketed through his arm, but he made no noise. Levi expected it. 

The whispers were quiet. Deceptively quiet.

The armor transmatted away, and Levi turned, returning to the room he left Vax.

Loneliness. Pure and utter feelings of loneliness.

She moved, scrambled up in the dark room with a start as she whipped her head around, trying to see anything. Nothing around her, no sound in the empty space, not even an echo of her panicked breathing. She didn't realise she had been crying until she tasted the salt in her mouth, and she blinked as more and more tears appeared and streaked down her cheeks. Why are there tears?

As she reached up to feel at her cheeks, three small dots caught her attention. A familiar pattern. 

She recognised her too late. The space filled up with Oryx, His wings spanning the entirety of the horizon and curving inwards, His majesty overwhelming. The figure beneath Him started running towards Vax, her movement patterns ever familiar for the Awoken as she desperately tried to break free from the sudden chains around her ankles. She lunged her arm forward, reaching over as much as she could with wide eyes as she helplessly watched Oryx' hand slamming down onto her beloved. A scream --

"NO!" her voice pierced through the air as her eyes sprung open. She fell back to the ground with a loud bang, hadn't even realised she had jumped up as she scrambled with her feet, trying to escape the nightmare around her still. She came to a shocking halt as reality finally caught up with her, eyes staring off into the empty space as tears welled up and then started streaming down her face. She curled up against the wall, shoulders shaking as the heavy burden of grief weighed down upon her once more.

"hey, you okay, love?" Levi had approached without a word, sitting down next to Vax, putting his arms around her. His demeanor had already changed; he wasn't cold, not even to the touch. "We're not far from Earth, now. Spider's dropping us off in the Cosmodrome, so we don't cause a... ruckus back in the tower."

Levi's weary eyes caught the tears falling down Vax's face, as he held her close. "Was it something about the Hive again? I know you were... more than a little anxious when we were back on Mars."

"You can talk to me, you know. After that... 'mission', all I want you to do is just talk to me. I want to go back to the apartment and talk. That's all that will make me feel better."

The whispers had subsided, for now.

Vax jumped when Levi touched her, but quickly leaned heavily against him when she recognised his touch, carefully wiping her tears away. “I’m- uh... it was Eris.” she admitted softly, eyes closed, as if she was stuck in an everlasting nightmare and didn’t want to see it. 

As she had slept Ghost had done its best to heal her nasty wound, all it was now was a freshly healed scar below her left eye surrounded by yellow and purple bruises. She moved a hand to rest on the skin, letting out a shaky breath as she tried to relax her face and calm down. She reached for Levi’s hand and gripped it tightly, nuzzling against him. 

“I miss her so much, Levi,” she whispered, almost inaudible, afraid he might hear. “I have you, I have Saladin, and I love you both so much, but- but Eris and I... she was my first everything. She knew of the nightmares and visions of Crota and Oryx, and she- she just vanished,” she took a deep breath, body slack with sudden exhaustion. “I can’t lose you too. I can’t stand the thought of losing you and Saladin, of experiencing more loss.” she squeezed Levi’s hand, a hint of desperation in her voice. “You’re so goddamned reckless, it’s driving me mad, but don’t you dare change.” 

She was rambling, thoughts scrambled in her mind as she was trying to find the words she wanted to say. 

Instead, she simply nuzzled as close to him as possible, hands holding onto him. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

"I'm glad I'm alive, too." A hand rose to touch the mottled skin below her eye, Levi making a small noise. "I'm sorry you got hurt, getting me out like that. And it doesn't sound like anyone else is having it easy, either, with what happened to Cayde... I can't imagine Ace and Edge are taking it well. I'd be surprised if anyone was. 

He sighed. "As for Eris, well... I think you should go look for her. It's been over a year, now. I'm certain whatever she's doing is important, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have to write. There's something fishy about just up and disappearing during the Red War. And you can say 'you barely knew her, that's not how she thinks' yadda yadda, but your happiness is important, and at least having some more of an undertaking of why she left would help you out." 

The ship shook gently as the massive hulk exited NLS space, far enough outside Earth's orbit to be picked up by any Vanguard early warning system. 

A thought crossed his mind, of the contraband Shelley held in her inventory for him. The gloves. The bones. Should he tell her? 

"I'm... sorry I'm always reckless. I should try to shake it. It's not fair to you." He smirked. "And I'm sure the Vanguard wouldn't want to lose their best recon specialist."

Despite his words, despite his love, Vax couldn’t get herself to smile, a deep frown worrying her face as she stared into nothingness for a while. “... I have looked for her. In the beginning,” her voice was quiet, soft spoken words. “I have since given up, realising that chasing after phantoms is... it’s not what I do.” she gripped at her robes with her hand, the fabric crunching together under the stress. “I must let it go, and wait.” 

She eyed up to Levi then, her glowing eyes seeming almost dim as her thoughts ghosted through her mind. “I mustn’t rely on you. Or Saladin. You shouldn’t have to change yourself because I fear the thought of losing you. I mustn’t-“ she swallowed, eyes cast downwards then, as if ashamed for wording her thoughts. “I’m sorry.”

She wanted to be happy he was safe back home, she was happy, but the month spent worrying and searching hadn’t done much to help her dark thoughts, the ones usually so far down they couldn’t reach her, yet had been creeping up on her slowly with each passing day. 

She grunted, reflexively gripping at her head as a headache acted up once more. “Have we arrived?” she distracted herself and Levi, voice trying to sound her calm and collected self, yet a tremble could be heard.


End file.
